Dirva = Field. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1915-current, 1944-11-24

terror and to reach the shores of
friendly Sweden were fortunate
However, comparatively few man
aged to escape since all boats had
been confiscated and were exclusi-
vely controlled by the Germans
who, were preparing for their own
evacuation. However, fish + m n
managed to hide some smaller
boats for their own, use.
News from Sweden Of October 1a
1914, reports:
"More than $4,000 refugees from
the Baltic countries have arrived
in Sweden during the last few
weeks, it was announced here Oct
ober Ia. One single day brought
1900. During September destroy
ers of the Swedish Navy rescued
over 200 who were in distress in
small fragile craft in the Baltic
Sea. Baltic refugees in Sweden
now total about 10000. Of these
$500 are descendants of Swedish
settlers in Estonia :. -
Soviet forces entering Lithuania
found the towns almost empty of
inhabitants. Soon after the ap-
pearance Of the Red Army in Lith-
uania, the High Command of the
Soviet armed forces posted appeals
in the Lithuanian and Russian
language. Although these appeals
praised Stain and glorified the
Soviet "liberation'' of Lithuania,
the Soviets certainly did not con-
duct themselves as ]iberators, and
they cannot boast that they were
greeted as such.
! H. Foster Anderson, who lived
for many years in the Baltic lands
and in Russia and witnessed the So.
Wet occupation of Lithuania in
1910, observed in the August, 1914
issue of the Forthnightly (London)
''Since the Russian way of life
cannot capture the minds Of the
Europeans, Russia will be faced
with the choice, of one or two &C.
tions. Either she will have to with.
draw from occupying parts of Eu
rope, or she will have to liquidate
the European population of that
area, substituting for it Russian
population. The liquidation will not
take place by mass slaughter, but
by mass deportation"
Mr.. Anderson's words would ap
ply equally well =, to Lithuania, now
reoccupied by the Soviets, excep1
for the fact that the deliberate an
nihilation of the Lithuanian natior
is taking place, both by mas:
slaughter and by mass deportation
THE N.K.V.D., successor of th'
dreaded G.P.U., or Soviet politica
police, followed on the heels of th'
Red Army. Immediately, mass ex
ecutions, arrests, and deportation:
were instituted.
The Lithuanian inhabitants o1
various towns were herded int
the public squares. All person:
who were indicated by few loca
Communists as having participated
in the June, 1941, insurr t o I
against the Soviets, as well as those
who had occupied any position
| I,x1to
cupation, even village elders, muni
cipal employees, ETC., were execu
ted. According to the Bund o1
Switzerland:
During the first days of occupa
ton of Siauliai 400 persons, and in
Eirzai 25O, regardless of age and
sex were killed by the SOviets. The
same terror reigned elsewhere in
Lithuania.
1t is known that such N.K.V.D
pogroms took place also in Vilnius
Kaunas, Svyriai, Utena, Kedainiai
and Mariarnpole, and in other locali-
ties. Refugees who made their es-
cape to a neutral country report
N.K.VD. executioners boasting:
eve shall annihilate all anti-SO'
Wet separatists before the Allied
help restores your independence.
Officers and men of the dis.
banded Gen. Plechavicius units who
fell into Soviet hands were con-
sidered as criminals in the eyes of
the occupants because of their
stand for Lithuanian national in
dependence. They received no COM
mendation for their heroic struggle
against the Germans although it
was a valuable contribution to the
Allied cause.
AS previously reported, the So
Wet authorities are distributing q
questionnaire containing five quest
ions to be answered by the Lithu-
anian people. On the basis of their
replies, individuals are assigned to
execution, to deportation: to forced
| labor, or to serve in the Red Ar