Evening star., 1948-05-09

A digest OF their reports has been
presented by the exiles to the
United Nations as an appeal"
Waters Reported Patrolled
Much of the information is con-
firmed here by State Department
officials who, however, refuse to give
out details. One official, neverthe-
less, says that the Baltic reports ap-
pear reliable. They check with in
formation which the American Gov
ernment has received from other
sources.
News from the three little nations
on the Baltic Sea seep out to Sweden
and Britain through Bait sailors
who escape in fishing smacks under
cover of fog. The Baltic news letters
say the waters off the Baltic shores
are. patrolled by Russian planes ane
small naval vessels to prevent such
escapes.
Lithuanian, Latvian and Estoniar
news letters all report armed ant
mobile guerrilla armies in their hom.
lands. They say the bands hide ou
in the forests, live off the land ane
use captured German and Russian
artillery. They wear captured Rus.
sian uniforms, in order to confuse
the regular Russian troops. They
have both mobile artillery ane
small tanks.
The news letters indicate that the
Lithuanians, who have the largest
population, are the most active
They, say that Russia is keeping 81,
divisions in the country, as we'll az
$4,000 secret police.
Last summer the news letters say
the Russians sent additionally five
air squadrons and more infantry
Guerrilla sniping has been so severe
In some areas that Russian troops
are confining themselves to protect.
ing conveys, railways, highways ano
bridges.
Lithuanian reports say that sew.
eral Red army men who have be-
come disguised with the Soviet
dictatorship have joined the parti-
sans. Up to the present none o1
these former Red army members are
known to have turned traitor" to
their Baltic friends.
Many Battles Listed
Dates and places of battles which
have taken place are issued here
by Juozas Kajeckas, Attache OF the
Lithuanian Legation. They include
April, 1946, in the Kedainiai dis
trict; NKVD troops versus &c
partisans: IL partisans dead. Close
to 100 KVD killed.
September. 1945. in the Raseiniai
district; 1873 partisans versus 7Ot
NKVD. The battle lasted 20 hours;
73 partisans and 430 Russians killed
June II. 1915. In the -Degucia
Forest, 70 partisans versus 300 Rus.
slams. Six partisans and 81 Rus.
slams dead.
Hundreds of such skirmishes have
been reported. The partisans have
the advantage of fighting in forest.
they know. But the Russians have
modern artillery and good commu
nications However, the Lithuanian
report that on the average sever
Russians are killed for one par
tisan. Some 5000 Lithuanians hav
already died in guerrilla war.
Reports from Latvia and Estonia
which are farther north, are fewer
But occasionally refugees from botl
those countries get south into Lith
uania, and escape to Sweden owe
the shortest water route.
Together the three little nation
have fewer people than the City o
New York. They were occupied b
the Red armies in June, 1910, an
two months later, with the Re
armies there, they voted to becom
Soviets. The United States Gov
ernment has never recognized tina
vote, and the three Baltic diplo
matte missions here are still recog
nized as the representatives of thei
countries.
Kajeckas, of the Lithuanians, t
back up his thesis that the Rus
sian-supervised elections of 1874
were fraudulent, relates that in tn
last free Lithuanian elections ther
were only 1900 Communists in
population OF 100000.
In 1941 the Germans pushed tn
Russians back but in 1914 the Rus
slams moved in again.
Fishing Fleets 'Liquidated'
Both Latvian and Lithuanian dir
lomats here and in London beliey
that the aim of the Russians
their nations is to liquidate tn
educated classes which could, ever
tually, lead a rebellion and regal
independence for their nations.
The Lithuanian Bulletin printe
in New York reports that "all fish
ing fleets of the Baltic states wer
hquidated last summer. Tens
thousands of Estonian, Latvian an
Lithuanian fishermen with thel
families were voluntarily move
from the 'overpopulated Baltic re
publics' to the Sea of Okhotsk i
the Far East"
| The Lithuanian Bulletin report
a heavy loss of young Balts take
into Russia. 1t says, "so-calle
technical labor duty was introduce
for children of the 12-15 age. Farr
boys are victims of this servitud'
The children are officially describe
as 'volunteers'-the same as tn
Baltic fishermen who were move
to the Far East. These volunteer
are not permitted to choose the
place Of service. The youthfl
slaves are dispatched to reconstrut
l- -.r,,hl,ce soroeuhere deen 1