Evening star., 1958-07-05
Lotyio's PIiqht

IUlNHu , FIIYHI
George w. Moore in his
letter, "Latvia'S Lot" over
looked some facts:
In 1919-l920 the people Of
Latvia ousted not only their
German overlords but invad-
ing troops of the new Red
Army as well. Ulmanis' re-
gime did not last until the
Nazis took over Latvia in
July, l94l. In August. 1899,
the Nazis and the Soviet
Commies signed their famous
nonaggression pact which
contained the then secret
clause leaving Latvia in the
Soviet sphere of influence.
This deal enabled the Krem-
lin to occupy Latvia by mill
tary force in June, 1910,
under the pretext that Latvia
1.-TWO million people, planned
war against the USSR Q80
million peopleD The notori-
Gus VishinSky, backed by Red
Army bayonetS, installed a
new pro-Soviet government
but President Ulmanis was
arrested and deported to- the
USSR in July. 1910. His fate
was later shared by l9 Lat
Wan Parliament members (of
pre- Ulmanis time) who were
deported to Siberia in June.
1941, together with $4,000
Latvians (among them 1882
children under the age of 16).
The total loss of the Latvian
people during this year of
Red terror amounted to
$4,000 persons l,488 exc
cuted) or almost 2 per cent
OF the whole population. All
these victims are listed in the
files of the International Red
Cross in Switzerland. Small
wonder then that in 1944-45
the LatvianS knew what they
had to expect when the Rus
sian armies approached again
their country.
In 1944(45 around 100000
Latvians either fled or were
forcibly evacuated westward
by the Nazis; some 5000
Latvians managed to escape
to Sweden. Soviet atrocities
of 1940/4l caused this mass
exodus. Their fears were not
unfounded. During postwar
years the Soviets deported
some 100000 more Latvians;
many of them are confined
in Siberia.
Latyia now is governed
by the Communists. Their
Central Committee consists
mainly of sovietized Latvians
who spent years in the
U. S. S. r. before being sent
to Latvia as Soviet agents
during the truly democratic
republic or arrived there on
the heels of the Red Army
in 1910 and again in 1914.
One third of this omnipotent
committee consists either of
Russians or other non-
Latvians.
Return to Ulmanis' re-
gime is impossible because
President Ulmanis expired
several years ago in Siberia.
No Latvian at home or abroad
wants to live under Dictator
ship-especially if it is of
foreign make. The Latvians
want to get back their SOW
ereignty as eagerly as the
Hungarians who tried it in
October, 1856.
am a Latvian who was
not too enthusiastic about
the Ulmanis regime. but re-
spected it as our own. Dur
ing the years of foreign oc-
cupation ! fought for the
freedom of my country and
was put in a Nazi concentra-
ton camp during World War
II. Never before have I heard
such cynical statements and
untruths about Latvia's tragic
lot as from George w. Moore.
Freds z. Launags.
This is in reply to George
w. Moore, who says he is
merely a searcher for the
truth" and he finds it by
denying Soviet oppression Of
the people of Latvia who al
legedly "are governed by
Latvians." This and the rest
of his presentation is an ad-
mixture Of some untruths
with a wealth of gross dis
tortionS. such as habitually
emanate from Moscow. where
the real government Of Soviet
Latvia resides.
The truth is that the gov
ernment of independent Lat
via did not come to an end
through Nazi occupation, but
was liquidated in June. 1910,
by Stains emisSary, Vishin-
sky. after the Red army had
occupied Latvia in violation
Of all international treaties
concluded between both eoun-
tries. While durin1 the iron
dictatorshipp Of b > govern