The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1950-07-20
Comment On
World Events

On June 15-17, 1910, the Soviet
Union forcibly occupied the 3 SOW
ereign and Independent Baltic re-
publics, Estonia, Latvia and Lithu-
ania, in defiance of number Of
valid international treaties and
agreements which the USSR had
solemnly promised to honor and re-
spect. The world passed by this
event almost in silence although
the majority of the Western demo-
cracies, with Great Britain and
USA at their head, have refused
their recognition to this act of
violence and aggression.
There is a tendency to regard the
Baltic states as a product of the
Versailles treaty, a link in that
Gordon sanitaire" which the West
tried to create around Communist
Russia. Actually the Baltic repub-
lies are no artificial phenomenal
and their origin is neither in form
nor content to be found in the peace
treaties concluded after World War
| nor by the political reorganiza-
ton of the relations of victors
and vanquished.
The Baltic area, i.e., the terri
tory of the Estonian, Latvian and
Lithuanian republics, has been the
home of the respective people since
prehistoric times. Within their eth
nographic frontiers these peoples
were Independent nations with their
own political organization until
they lost this independence to
foreign conquerors: Latvia and Es-
tonia in the 18th and 18th century
respectively and Lithuania in the
18th century. Nevertheless, even
after the Incorporation into the re-
spective conqueror states the Baltic
countries retained their clearly de-
fined photographic frontiers and
considerable social, economic, cul-
tural and administrative liberties.
Despite pressure from without, the
3 peoples kept their national char
acteristics intact and never fell
under any marked foreign influ-
ence.
With the downfall of the Czarist
regime in 1917 the Baltic nations
seized the opportunity to establish
independent states. These acts were
solely and entirely the expression
of the will of the nations concern
ed who had never forgotten their
erstwhile independence and carried
the longing for it through centuries
of foreign rule. No other nation or
country helped them in their en-
deavours, no foreign influence
prompted them, no public or sec
ret agreement with any state what
soever promised them assistance
and support. The Baltic republics
were recognized by the West only
after they had established them
selves firmly and fought a bloody
war with Russia for their independ-
ence.
The Bolshevik regime in Russia
had by a declaration, dated Nov.
IL, 1917, recognized the right of
all peoples within the Russian En-
pire "to free self-determination
even unto separation and establish
ment of Independent states" How
ever, year later this declaration
was forgotten although it bore the
signatures of both Lenin and Sta
lin, and Bolshevik aggressivity as
serted itself at the first propitious
moment. In Nov, 1918 Soviet Rus
sia attacked Estonia (and subse-
quently also the other Baltic
states) in order to turn it into a
Russian province again. Soviet ag
gression was met by armed resist
ance and after prolonged and hard
fighting, taking all the resources
of the young republics, an honor
able peace was concluded.
:. !. :.
However, aggressive USSR kept
its solemn promises only until the
next favorable opportunity. In
June, 1910, when the international
situation and an infamous secret
agreement with Nazi Germany left
it a free hand in the Baltic area.
Soviet troops again invaded the 3
Baltic republics. Before world pub
lie opinion the USSR tried to mask
this act of unmitigated violence by
pretending to carry out "the will
of the Baltic peoples, staging the
most shamelessly forged elections
under threat of Red Army and