Dirva = Field. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1915-current, 1943-10-01
Courtesy of AMERICA, Aug. 2S)
MANY amongst the Allies ,iave

MAN amongst the AilloS hdVe
Continued from previous issue)
The greatest fear for Estonia,
Latvla and Lithuania came rom
Russia, not only because these three
states had been for two centuries
under Russian rule, but also pe-
cause in Russia there was Com
munism, and in those states the
ruling classes and tn e churches
hated Communism. Lithuania was
the first to introduce rightist
dictatorthip: the examples of Mus
solini and of Primo de Rivera were
still fresh in 1923, and Poland was
already dominated by Pilsudski,
who made the coup on Wilma. For
about twenty years, more or less,
IN those countries dictatorial forms
alternated with parliamentary forms
1--WE should not call them demo
cratic').
This has been stressed by some
columnists as a proof of the Baltic
States immaturity; but this argu-
ment proves too much; it would
involve the whole of Europe Gin
cluding France with the Vichy ex-
periment) and also a great portion
of Latin America. We do not go
| farther. AS a matter of fact, the
Baltic States leaned towards Ger
many. Hitler was for them ter
rible temptation and a fear; too:
to be permanently between the dew
| il and the deep sea it not a for
tunate situation. They relied on
the League of Nations, whose last
political action was in defense of
Finland Ga Platonic act indeed)-
but then Finland had been the vic
tim of Russian aggression
After the treaty Of peace with
Russia, Finland took sides, fight
ing along with Germany. She
might lose part of her territory,
migth be disarmed; but her per
sonality has been strengthened
more and more, in spite of the fact
that the second war put he on the
wrong side. Should the little Bal
tic States have decided for the one
side or for the other, or have de-
clared themselves neutral but ready
to fight if invaded, like Belgium
or Holland, or even like Switzer-
land, their case today would be
stronger. The old Venetian Repub-
lie, Notwithstanding ten centuries
of glorious history, when she let
Napoleon pass through her terri
, tory without fighting, became a
prey to France, and to Austria
later on The same may be the
| future lot of Estonia, Latvia and
! Lithuania.
In order to safeguard the legiti-
mate interests of Russia as we'll as
the rights of the Baltic States,
two hypothesis are discussed: the
first considers the possibility of
allowing to Russia a kind of sphere
OF influence over the states of
Eastern Europe, including the Bal
tic States, Poland, Czechoslovakia,
Hungary and the. states of the Bal
kan Peninsula, thus materializing
the Russian dream Of Pan-Slavism
with some non-Slavic populations
in it's orbit. The other is that of
a Society of Nations, with political
and military powers, uniting in it.
self the so-called regional Fedora
tions. Europe ought to form one
or more Federations, each with
such political and economic ties as
to form a real unity of interests
and governments.
The writer prefers the second
solution which, legally and morally,
is more in harmony with the war
aims Of the United Nations, with
the promises made by the Atlantic
Charter and with the further decla-
ration of the Washington and Lon
don governments; but is, above all,
in harmony with natural law and
with the Christian principles Of
which Plus XII during this war
has made himself a strongly au-
thoritative defender.
The first solution was proposed
in London by not fully responsible
elements. On another occasion, in
the case of Czechoslovakia, a sane