Dirva = Field. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1915-current, 1947-12-31
BY HAL FOUST
reprint from Chicago Tribune)

Dy HAL SoA
reprint from Chicago Tribune)
STOCKHOLM. (By air mail) -
Soviet Russia, suppressing internal
unrest with police terrorism and
with belligerent gestures abroad, is
described by fugitives from across
the Baltic sea who find refuge in
Sweden. They tell of naval and
military establishments on the new
Red coast based on a civilian econo-
emy typified by the idle, war econo-
ed factory and by the hungry and
shoeless women stevedores.
The coast, from Finland to the
Soviet occupation zone of Germany
is manned by Russian troops and
patroled by large and small Russian
warships. Sweden fears aggression
But competent witnesses who have
recently escaped from Stalin's baili-
wick report that no industry OF
transport has been built during the
three years of Red occupancy of
the Baltic region to support war
there.
Guns Point Both Ways
Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians
Films, Poles, and Germans-all the
coastal peoples-hate their Red con-
queror and suppressor. They can
not be trusted behind a battle line
Evidence was uncovered by The Tri-
bune here that these dominated peo-
pies, altho deblitated by lack of food
clothing, and housing, are not trust
ed by the Kremlin. Border fortifica-
tions figuratively and in some in
stances literally point guns in op-
poslte directions, toward Soviet ci-
tizens as well as toward foreign
countries.
The slack industrial activity on the
Soviet side Of the Baltic is a con.
trast to reports from the Ukraine
| and the Urals obtained by The Tri.
bune a few weeks ago from Ger.
mans who visited those areas as
espionage agents for western allies
In the south and southeast, hordes
of slaves are building factories, rail.
roads, power installations, and un-
derground bombproof petroleum re.
servoirs. There, it appears, is where
Stain is preparing for war, on the
Black sea and Mediterranean sea
not on the Baltic.
From Variety of Witnesses
The picture of the Baltic coast
behind the "iron curtain" was OBJ.
+, tanned from variety of witnesses
They included: Two Estonian de.
serters from the Russian merchant
marine, II Ukrainians who fled from
Finland, major of the Polish army
an eXecutioner of the Polish under
ground, Russian marine engineer
an East Karelian, a Lithuanian sea
man, a fugitive from a Bait dis
placed persons camp in the America,
occupation zone Of Germany, boy
who escaped from Tallinn, Estonia
via Leningrad and Finland aftel
having been turned back at Mos
cow in an attempt to reach Turkey
and two veteran Bait diplomats.
| The interviews took place in the
city of Stockholm, in stone pit ir
the mountains 60 miles from here
in logging camp in a dense forest
100 miles from here, and in a refu-
gee camp in the archipelago &c
miles from here. Some of the in
dividual stories, highlighted W h
personal adventures, will be recount
ed in future dispatches.
Limit Poles Ammunition
Skimming thru notes to be writ
ten in detail later, we find the
following statements underlined:
l.. In Poland-The Russians limit
the Polish army sentries to carry
ing only four rounds of ammuni-
ton. A fortified barrier has been
built between the Russian and Po-
lish sections of East Prussia. The