Dirva = Field. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1915-current, 1943-10-22


jumping-off place against Russia
in June, 1941, was Germany. Mr..
Stain was then the sole boss of
Lithuania, having held it since its
occupation in June, 1910. His grab
Of Lithuania as a pretext against
| German attack proved quite futile:
Hitler's armies, marching in from
Germany, met the Russian armies
| in Lithuania, at the German hor-
der, forcing them out in two days,
and the Russians went fleeing for
| hundreds Of miles through Russia
itself: their own vast territory and
even the so-called "Stalin Line"
failed to stop the Nazi Comrades,
who outwitted Stain, from march
ing further into Russia, at that
time.
Now as to playing ball''. That is
another lie. Lithuania was the
first country in Europe bold enough
to bring to trial Nazi traitors who
were set for a "putsch" in Lith-
uania, as early as 1895. All the
! Nazis brought to trial and found
guilty were punished severely, and
Mr.. Smetona refused them pardons,
despite strong Nazi threats against
Lithuania from Berlin.
Mr.. Smetona refused "to play
ball" with Hitler again in 1889,
while Hitler was plotting to attack
Poland and offered Lithuania its
capital city, Vilnius, held by the
Poles at that time (the cause of the
Lithuanian-Polish rift for 30 years..
Hitler wanted Litkuana to come
on his side, but Mr.. Smetona re-
fused to accept this "gift" from
Hitler, proclaiming Lithuania's ne
utrality. in the German-Polish tus-
sic.
Only Mr.. Stain accepted Hitler's
"gifts"-which was half Of Poland,
including Vilnius, after which they
"annexed" Vilnius to Lithuania
when the Russians took Lithuana,
Latvia and Estcnia.
What Are We Fighting For?
Let us be honest and ask our
selves what are Americas aims in
this war? Should we follow our
Government or such columnists as
MIR. Pearson? We heard of Stain
CLOSING" the Comintern, an organi-
zation set up to spread Stalin's re-
volutionary aims in other count
ries, yet our own columnists eve
should call them fifth-columnsts)
ably carry on Soviet propaganda in
America by using some respected
American newspapers, even to the
extent of accusing the President and
the Secretary Of State for not be-
ing pro-Soviet enough, According
to Mr.. Pearson America should be
fighting for aggrandizement Of the
Soviet Empire, the way Moscow
wants us to do. Although Russia
now has over one-sixth of the en-
tire territory Of the globe, we must
strive to add more lands to her do
mains even to the extent Of sacri-
ficing dozens of small nations bor-
dering Russia, simply because Sta
lin happens to be a war partner
Of Uncle Sam.
We take pride in the Atlantic
Charter, which suppresses terrific
rial aggrandizement, we loudly pro
claim our democracy and decline
all thoughts Of gaining territories
for ourselves out of this war but
according to columnists like Mr.
Pearson we must by all means try
rot to attend Stalin's appetite for
territorial grab.
Some over jealous columnists
clamor for Russia's access to West
ern Europe, when Moscow demands
it. Where is that Western limit
we may ask? Lithuania and Po-
land are but narrow territories be-
tween the Eastern Europe of Russia
and Germany of Western Europe
Then follow France, Spain, the
Netherlands, and the British Isles.
Where does Stain intend to place
his door to Western Europe?
When in June, 1910, the Red ar
mics were occupying Lithuania, and
the Soviet agents sWarmed into
Kaunas, the American citizens then
in Lithuania surged into the Ameri-
can Legation to obtain passports
and visas to return to America, the
Soviet commissars who were then
in control of all offices there, made
the following insulting remarks:
"What's your hurry to get back to
America, comrades? Next year we
shall be there, toow (Stalin was
then a partner of Hitler)