Evening star., 1950-08-06
| Baltic States
Fate Tragic
By Kozimierz Smoaorzewski

By Kozlmlerz SmogorzewskI
fAuthor of q number Of books In English,
Polish and French on politics and hisfery.)
IONDON.-At a time when the
10th anniversary of the annexa-
ton by Soviet Russia-on August
3, S and 6, respectiyely-of Lithu-
ania, Latvia and Estonia is being
celebrated, with typical propa-
gandist fervor, in Moscow and in
vilnius (Wilno), Riga and Tallinn,
the capitals of the three former
independent states. 1t is timely to
present something Of the true
conditions existing under Soviet
rule.
1.-THE Soviet regime" writes
Izvestia. gave the Baltic nations
real freedom. independence and
possibilities of rapid economic. po-
litical and cultural development"
Economic Blow
What is the real picture? The
Baltic peoples lost not only their
treasured freedom and inde-
Ipendence, but also their economic
prosperity, of which the main fea-
lures were the following: With
the exception of wheat, crops per
head of population in the three
states were double in cereals and
treble in potatoes when compared
with those of the Soviet Union;
the numbers of livestock per in
habitant were double those in the
Soviet Union; with total popula-
ton of s million the Baltic states
imported from Great Britain
manufactured goods to exactly
the same value as did the Soviet
Union, with population then of
ITO million.
After radical land reforms the
Baltic states had created a
measure of social justice which
gave Communist propaganda no
opportunity to make any notable
progress. The developments Of
1910 arose, therefore, not out OF
successful revolution but by the
plain expedient of suppression
by Soviet Commissars A. A.
Zhdanov, A. Y. Vyshinsky and
v. G. Dekanozov. respectively, act
ing under the protection of the
Soviet occupation army-of the
constitutional governments OF
Estonia. Latvia and Lithuania.
The operation took place safely
in the area defined, in the secret
treaty signed in Moscow by Rib
bentrop and Molotov on Septem-
ber %. 1899. as-temporarily, the
Germans hoped-a Soviet zone of
influence and at a time when no
help could be extended to the vic
Tins.
Mass Deportations
During the present celebrations
there naturally has been no ref
erence to the most tragic conse-
quence to the Baltic States OF
their liberation" by the Soviet
armies, namely, their classification
by the removal of hundreds of
thousands of inhabitants repre-
senting the political, economic,
military, religious and intellec-
tual elite.
| At least three main mass de-
portations were organized by the
Soviet Ministry of State Security
The first took place on June 1914,
1941. shortly before the German
invasion, and altogether 62,75G
Estonians, 34,250 Latvians and
$4,000 Lithuanians were trans
ported to Northern Russia and
Siberia.
The second wave of deporta-
tions began Immediately after the
return of the Soviet armies, and
during 1856 some $4,000 Es-
tonians, los. 900 Latvians and 145.-
900 LithuanianS were sent to dis
tant, Soviet camps of forced labor
| Deportations continued on a
smaller scale during 1918 with
one notable exception: In Lithu-
ania. on the single day of May
%, 1948. about 100000 peasants
resisting collectivization were ar
rested and sent eastward.
The third and-to date-last
mass deportation from the three
Baltic States took place in March,
1949, when 10000 Estonians, TO-
900 Latvians and 10000 Lithu-
anians were victims of the opera
ton.
Altogether, in 10 years the
number of Estonians living in
their homeland fell from 996 900
to 900. the number of Lat
vians from 1895 900 to 1922, 900
and of Lithuanians from 1904, 900
to 1,645,000
Copyright, London Observer Foreign
News Service)
- NAE -