Dirva = Field. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1915-current, 1946-11-29
Memorandum to ]. n.
Submitted in Defense of Displaced Lthuanians
in Germany

One Of the greatest obstacles to
peace is the consistent failure of
the United Nations to consider the
rights of small nations that have
been deprived of their independence
and sovereignty by aggression with
an excuse of war. necessity. Among
these nations the three Baltic re-
nubllcs, Llthuania, Latvia and Es-
tona stand out most prominently
All three of them, under duress
of Soviet Russia and in accordance
with advice of many Western Pow
ers, granted Soviet Russia a right
to establish military bases as a
precautionary measure against pos
sible danger of Nazi attack. This
was in 1889. Soviet Russia entered
into mutual agreement assuring
! these republics that it would not
interfere in their way of life or make
any moves whereby the sovereignty
or independence of these three re-
publics would be affected.
In less than one year, June Is,
1910, Soviet Russia sent an identi-
cal ultimatum to these three re-
publics demanding that they estab-
lish friendly" government with
in "a hours. In Soviet language
'friendly" has but one meaning i.
e. Communistic. No nation could
comply with such a demand without
committing national suicide. Most
Of the Baltic governments, realiz-
ing the futility of offering resistance
fled and the Soviet armies moved
in.
Upon occupation of these coun-
tries system of terror, persecution,
exile, wanton murder or "liquida-
ton" of all those who did not pro-
fess Communistic tendencies were
put into full force. Thousands of
these innocent victims were herded
into box cars, having no ventila-
ton or any other necessities, were
sealed and sent enroute with no
food, water or any other means of
sustaining life. Others were march
ed on foot at forced speed - those
that Jagged back were shot while
others that persisted in keeping up
were stopped at some lonely spot
and machine gunned (see report by
Col. Petrutis in his book ''Lithuania
Under The Hammer and Sickle" and
other documents for facts).
Later, when the Soviets learned
that German Nazi offensive was
succeeding they intensified their un-
holy terror by numbering thousands
of prisoners in cold blood. This
and similar acts served as notice
- 4Ia4 tnN
cupation had but one motive-com-
plete annihilation of the Baltic peo-
pie. Realizing this every man took
up whatever arms he could and at
tackled the Bolsheviks. The Soviets
thru their we'll organized propagan-
da machine in America, inland and
elsewhere accused the Lithuanians
and others of collaborating with the
Nazis. This was done to cover up
their own nefarious and wanton acts
that precipitated an open revolt. AS
soon as the Bolsheviks took to their
heels, the leaders of the underground
movement came out into open and
set up orderly police and govern
ment system to prevent banditry
and loot.
A few days later the Germans
moved in and Immediately started
to make overtures to the Lithuar-
ians to form battalions and join up
against the Bolsheviks. Notwith-
standing the temptation for ven
geance the Lithuanians refused with
a hope that some day they would
really be liberated by the Western
Powers. The Germans were incenS-
ed against the Lithuanians and then
made firm demands upon their lead
er Gen. P. Plehavicius. To save him.
self and his followers from imme-
diate exile in death camps, he then
agreed to form battalions for home
,ITiII