Dirva = Field. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1915-current, 1943-10-01
PRINCIPLES Or FREEDOM on TRIAL
By THE SHORES OF THE BALTIC

CAPSuiCiSy' II HAS Il SlIilSIcF air.
it lacks juridical foundation and
transfers to Moscow tbs policy of
Bismarck's, Wilhelm's and Hitler's
Germany. Zone Of influence, pro-
tectorates, annexed states have all
sulphurous smell.
In short: G) Russia must be
guaranteed from future attacks by
Germany; (b) Russia must not be
hemmed in by Sanitary Gordon"
IN the West or the constant mis-
trust and hostility of buffer states
from the Baltic Sea to the Black
Sea; (c) Russia must re-enter the
group of European families with
the place due to her.
We all agree on these points. 1t
is, however, necessary to make the
following remarks:
u Germany's problem concerns
Russia as much as France, England
| and, in general, the whole world,
including America. When the was
is over, Germany will be disarmed.
In this case, either Germany will
reconcile herself with the world
and peacefully participate in the
international organization, or she
will remain disarmed. But since
nation with such a history and
power as Germany cannot eternal
ly remain minor, sooner or later
way of reconciliation must be
! found. Russia then will be guar
anteed, as well as all the other
countries of Europe and of the
world. This depends on the good
will, intelligence, ability and pat
ience of the conquering countries,
including America and Russia, as
we'll as of Germany herself.
( y 1t will be impossible for the
New Order to bring about recon
ciliation and brotherhood among the
nations, if we begin by doing wrong
even to the smallest of them, and
if the principles of justice are ne
elected. in the past there was a
chain of injusticed left without rep
aration: Wilma was taken up by
/ Poland 192O, Corfu was lombard
ed 1929 and Fiume annexed by
Fascist Italy Q924) after treaty
duly made to guarantee its auto
nomy 1920). Who could believe
that these three peccadillos against
international law would bring about
series of wars which began in
1881 with Manchuria, a far-away
country that was scarcely expected
to concern any one in the world,
and then, in 1885, with another
country lost in the heart of Africa,
Abyssinia?
These outbreaks were generally
unheeded symptoms of the weak
ness of the international structure
and of the neglect of law. Gradu-
ally we got near the German vol
cano, and the whole world was
thrown upside down. The first
mistake, the first weakness, be-
comes always the original sin that
throws every moral order out of
gear. If we allow Russia to annex
the Baltic States, why should we
not permit her to do the same with
Poland and Bessarabiao And what
about the Balkans? Are not the
Balkan peoples Slavs? A power
is needed that can check the "bel-
licose instincts" of such peoples.
If we give free hand to Rus
sia, why not to China? Why not
to Great Britain? Why not to
America? Russia will annex the
Baltic States and America will be
right in guaranteeing herself in
the Pacific, and so on.
! Wars break out for two reasons:
because the aggressor does not
respect other peoples right, and
because he believes in his own vic
tory. If the Third World War
breaks out in thirty years or SO for
the lack of stable international or
der, it will perhaps be remembered
that the first fault, among many
others, was that of having let Es-
tonia, Latvia and Lithuania be sup
pressed. This would appear, then,
the "original sin" of the new or
der-or better, the first concession
to "might against right.
FOUR AND ONE-HALF to five
! feet is the average height of Lap
landers.