Aga lugegem ise/ but read yourself (archives searched by Jerry Waters, Charleston, WV, USA):
The Times | July 16, 1926
(FROM OUR RIGA CORRESPONDENT.) Since the beginning of June much attention has been attracted throughout the Baltic States by the curious behavior of the Estonian Minister in Moscow, M. Birk, who refused to obey the instructions of his Government. Ignoring repeated orders to return to Estonia, M. Birk remained in possession of the Estonian Legation in Moscow until June 20, and then handed over the seals and papers to an official from Tallinn (Reval), announcing his intention to proceed to France without visiting Estonia. 3L. Birk however remained in Soviet Russia, and has now begun to defend himself in the Soviet Press and accuse the Estonian Government of being unfriendly towards Moscow. M. Birk even alleges that the Estonian authorities organized an attempt to assassinate him for having, as they thought, sold Estonian State secrets to the Soviet Government and for having been responsible for the recent trials in Soviet Russia of alleged Estonian spies, of whom the Bolshevists admit having shot about 20.
The Times | March 5, 1927
TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES. Sir,-The Republic of Estonia in the Baltic is among the most interesting of the new nations which have risen from the ruins of the Great War. Its people has preserved through centuries of hardship its language, its history its national traditions, and has maintained un- wavering attachment to high cultural ideals. Its university, which was founded in 1632 in Dorpat has achieved a high place among the great educational institutions of Europe. Its newly inaugurated Polytechnic is equipping itself for the teaching of-applied science. The University and Polytechnic together employ 300 professors and teachers, and are attended by 5,300 students. 'The elementary sabots have made; valiant efforts in face of post-war difficulties to meet the needs of the rural and town populations. The enthusiasm for education is equally manifest among all classes. Among the Estonians there is an affectionate regard for everything British, and English has been made the first compulsory language in Estonian schools. It is accepted by the Estonian educational authorities that know- ledge.of English is essential-to the economic development of their country, in view of the growing relations, both cultural and commercial, with English-speaking nations. The most serious drawback* to the rapid expansion;of.the knowledge of English is the scarcity of English reading matter ii the schools aid in the libraries. In our visits to Estonia' the great demand for books in English was borne in upon us everywhere, and we, therefore, venture, through your. courtesy, to invite your readers to send gifts of books for transmission 'to Estonia. There must be great numbers of persons who, having read a book, would wish it passed on to take its pl in spreading a knowledge of English in a foreign country.
The Times | October 6, 1944
FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT TALLINN, Oct. 5.
GERMAN MASSACRE IN ESTONIA VICTIMS BURNED ON PYRES. Germans, on the eve of their flight from Estonia, burned the corpses of 3,000 Jews, Estonians, and Russians who had been shot by members of the Gestapo. The scene of the massacre was the village of Klooga, 20 miles from Tallinn, where one of the concentration camps in Estonia had been built for Jews from Vilna. During the last 12 months some 1,500 Jews had been employed there in conditions of great hardship. Food was scanty, and deaths from overstrain and exposure were a daily occurrence. On September 19, when they realized that the time for their departure was near, the Germans took steps to massacre all the inmates of the camp in addition to 800 Russians and 700 Estonians, including deserters from the German-raised Estonian army. When the Red Army reached Klooga six days later it found 85 survivors who had hidden in the roof of a building. It,was from these survivors and from Russian and Estonian members of the investigating committee that we today heard the account of the massacre. There were three places in the camp where evidence of the crime could be seen: outside the building where the survivors hid; the charred ruins of the building where about 800 are believed to have perished, and a ,field where nearly 2,000 were shot and their bodies burnt on pyres. About 600 women and 80 children are known to have been killed. Each pyre consisted of rows of pine logs which had been cut by the prisoners on the morning of their deaths. They were arranged in squares, in the middle of which was a flue. Above the first layer of logs fresh pine branches had been laid, and then another layer of logs. It was clear that the victims had been ordered to lie face downward, and were then shot through the back of the head. Other logs were then laid over the corpses, and further victims placed in position. The whole pyre was then'soaked in petrol and set on fire.
The Times | January 20, 1942
FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT STOCKHOLM, JAN. 19 :
LEPERS' ESCAPE IN ESTONIA GERMAN CONCERN TYPHUS SPREADING IN OCCUPIED ZONE.
News from the Baltic States now records that an Estonian isolation camp for lepers (reputedly the only leprosy camp in central and eastern Europe) was destroyed during military operations, and that the lepers escaped and dispersed. The German authorities are now seeking the fugitives and are publishing warnings against the dangers of leprosy far afield, even in Poland. Typhus has become so prevalent that further very drastic measures have been prescribed for the occupied Ukrainian regions, Galicia, Poland, parts of Germany, and the Baltic States. For instance, in Lithuania all the churches have been ordered to close and church services forbidden. This ban applies to all other assemblies for amusement or instruction. The reports add that " weddings, baptisms, and funerals are allowed only in the open air at church doors, and may be attended only by the persons nearest concerned." The Lithuanian Catholic Archbishop has announced that the German authorities have now conceded that these services may be performed inside churches if outsiders are strictly excluded, and a police permit has to be obtained in advance. TYPHUS DANGERS The German authorities, after mobilizing Polish and Jewish doctors locally in several districts; have now ordered the registration on military lines of all Poles and Jews with medical and nursing experience throughout West Poland ready to combat epidemics in the spring, when typhus and other diseases become most widespread and dangerous. The Germans have announced the execution of a Pole who was collecting old clothes for the Army in Russia. The peasant was ordered to drive a load of clothing to a collecting centre and stole a fur waistcoat en route. One of the reports say that it was his own waistcoat, which the collectors had compelled him to contribute. He was sent to Lodz, where he was summarily shot. About 12 shootings after trial by special courts have been reported since the New Year for sabotage and armed resistance to authority. The chief places recorded are Lodz, Danzig, and Silesia. The Germans have published an official report of the executions after trial by these special tribunals in Danzig, Bydgoszcz, and Grudziondz during 1941 to the number of 80. Official reports from other parts of Poland are not available. In connection with the danger of British raids, German garrisons on the Norwegian coast have been withdrawn inland. and many have been stationed in the mountains since the latest raids, being thus, according to authoritative explanations, secure from the surprise which has hitherto contributed to the British successes. According to the Swedish Press, German soldiers arriving in Norway in a demoralized slate from the Russian fronts for rest express their admirahon of the Russian soldiers' winter exploits.
The Times | January 3, 1938
FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT RIGA, JAN. 2
NEW CONSTITUTION IN ESTONIA RETURN TO DEMOCRACY
The Estonian Government and various political organizations arranged an impressive torchlight procession in Tallinn on Friday evening, culminating at midnight in a speech by M. Paets, the acting State President. The celebrations were to mark the advent of the New Year and the introduction of the new Estonian Constitution which re-establishes the Parliamentary regime interrupted in 1934. The Constitution.a provides for government by a State President, elected for six years by direct, secret, and popular ballot, and for a Parliament composed of two Chambers. of which the first will consist of 80 members elected by direct, secret, and popular ballot on what is locally called the " English system " to distinguish it from proportional representation. The second Chamber, to be called the State Council, will have 40 members. who must be over 40 and will be elected by various public organizations and local government bodies. The qualifying age for 'male and female voters at all popular elections is 22. The President is to appoint all Cabinet Ministers. If the first Chamber passes a vote of no confidence, the Cabinet must resign, but the Chamber must also be dissolved and be re-elected. The first Parliament under the new regime will be elected next spring and the first State President in the autumn, pending which time M. Paets will act as provisional Head of the State. An atmosphere favorable to the introduction of the new Constitution was created a few days before Christmas by the release of Generals Larka and Toerv and 16 other " Fascists " who had been condemned to long terms of irnprisonment for attempted revolts. **' The new Estonian Constitution, which was approved in a popular referendum early in 1936 by 473,235 votes to 149,578, supersedes the system introduced on January 24, 1934. This provided for the election every five years of a President with the power of conducting internal and foreign policies, legislating by decree, drafting the Budget, dismissing Ministers, and dissolving the Diet.
The Times | October 17, 1939
FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT RIGA, OCT. 16
RETURN OF GERMANS FROM ESTONIA AGREEMENT SIGNED
An agreement has been concluded in Tallinn between the German Minister and MI. Markus, hitherto Estonian Minister in Poland, marking progress towards the repatriation to the Reich of Estonian citizens of the German race. After its ratification the ships now waiting in the harbors will begin to embark these Germans. It is hoped to sign,.a similar agreement in Riga during the next few days for the repatriation of Germans from Latvia. In both countries there is little enthusiasm among the Germans at the prospect of removal to Poland. Large numbers are still wavering, and many who had decided to go have even changed their minds. The influencing factor is still the amount of credence placed in stories of the " Red menace." The Soviet warships now off Tallinn are commanded by Admiral Tributs, commander of the Baltic Red Fleet. An advance guard of a few hundred soldiers has landed and taken up quarters at Paldiski, one of the new Soviet naval bases near Tallinn. A batch of Soviet officers have also crossed the frontier near Narva, and more troops, believed to number 25,000 when all the garrisons are at full strength, are expected before the week-end. The Estonian precautions include a temporarily evacuated zone of 100 yards on each side of the road along which the troops will pass, and the prohibition of the sale of spirits in the neighborhood of the incoming Soviet troops. The Lithuanian and Soviet representatives in Kaunas to-day exchanged the ratification documents of last week's pact. and Lithuanian troops, who have already be- gun to occupy the Vilna territory as the Soviet troops gradually withdraw in conformity with the agreement, are hoping to enter the town of Vilna to-morrow. In Vilna and the neighborhood are a great number of refugees from all parts of Poland, many having flocked in recently, preferring Lithuanian citizenship to Soviet or German. It was semi-officially stated in Kaunas, however, that only those born or long domiciled in the territory, or there before November, 1918, can receive citizenship automatically. M. Charwat, Polish Minister in Lithuania, has arrived in Riga from Kaunas, intending to journey westwards via Stockholm, like his colleagues who have already left Riga and Tallinn.
The Times | June 9, 1939
From Our Warsaw Correspondent
BALTIC STATES AND PEACE A WELL-BALANCED NEUTRALITY THE GERMAN PACTS
Latvia and Estonia have reached a useful compromise with Germany in signing their pacts of non-aggression. The German Government required two separate bilateral pacts, but it was eventually agreed that the texts should be identical and signed simultaneously. The two Baltic States, therefore, have given the Reich two new bilateral agreements without them- selves departing from the cherished principle of solidarity in an independent outlook on the world. Born together during the disintegration of Russia 20 years ago, Latvia and Estonia fought side by side for the right to live. In the earliest days their forces were often curiously intermingled: Estonians fought on Latvian soil. and the present Foreign Minister of Latvia was among those of his nation who fought for a time in the army of Estonia against the common enemy. Estonia is slightly the senior of these twin republics. Great Britain recognized her de facto existence on May 3, 1918, and did the same for Latvia ill the following November. Complicated fighting, however, continued for another two years, now against invading Reds, now against remnants of the old German Army -for the Germans had occupied a great part of the Baltic States, and the Kaiser had personally come to Riga. Soviet Russia signed peace with Estonia on February 2, 1920, and with Latvia on August 11. Apart from Brest Litovsk, these were the first peace treaties of the Soviet Government. They have remained the basis of relations ever since. The independence and frontiers then officially recognized have never been threatened, and a few attempts at internal Communist revolt have been frustrated with ease. By the early thirties both Republics were growing tired of their Parliamentary system. which in the hands of inexperienced leaders of many parties had lost its initial inspiration and was developing unhealthy centers of endless debate and bargaining, which not merely deprived the Governments of stability and singleness of purpose but even threatened- the Republics with serious internal strife. In both countries the leaders of the original struggle for independence resolutely took the lead again. After years of strenuous reorganization and reform they have produced their own systems of legislation and administration, different in the two Republics, and different in many respects from the systems of other' countries, but containing Parliamentary elements as well as some of a moderate authoritarian character. NO ENEMIES: Latvia and Estonia appear to have no enemy in the world; they are certainly themselves enemies to none, being concerned only with developing their own meager natural resources, sending their fishing and merchant ships out on the high seas, and fostering peaceful inter- course with and among their neighbors. The last concern is the most important, being the vital condition of the two countries' existence. June December, 1936, The Times described them as lying on the axis of European peace, forming with Poland and Rumania the barrier between Germany and Russia. The conscious- ness of this has been ever present in the minds of Baltic statesmen. It has always dictated their foreign policy, which is to have good neighborly relations with Russia and Germany, giving neither any advantage which might reasonably annoy the other. Even in the early years, when Germany appeared to be more distant from the Baltic States than she is to- day, no 'exclusive advantages were given to Russia. Experiments were made to establish closer economic relations, but no political entanglements were at any time considered. Last year the two countries declared their strict neutrality. This would give them their one chance, small as it might be, in case of war. Voluntarily to side with Germany has never been seriously considered, for that would precipitate the forces of Russia towards the coast and the Baltic countries would inevitably become a battlefield and be destroyed, whichever way might go the fortunes of war. To side with Russia would mean admitting Russian forces to help defend the coastline, with its valuable seaports of Tallinn, Riga, Ventspils, and Liepaja, with the risk of being absorbed in Russia. But when Germany proposed to conclude non-aggression pacts there was little or no hesitation. They might have some protective value, and could not reasonably do any harm, whereas to refuse would inevitably provoke the charge of siding with Russia. Several pacts of similar character had already been concluded with Russia, and this additional one with Germany would be, theoretically at least, an additional insurance of neutrality. THE RUSSIAN PROPOSAL The Soviet proposal to guarantee assistance for the Baltic States in case they were attacked was considered as inconsistent with the policy of neutrality, because it would be interpreted by Germany as adhesion to the "peace front,"' which Germany chooses to call "encirclement." The Baltic States would raise no objection if Britain, France, and Russia undertook to assist any States-not specifically the Baltic States- if they became victims of aggression and asked for help; but they regard the Soviet Government's proposed guarantees as provocatively specific and as suggesting that- the safety of the Baltic States is only a pretext of Soviet policy which seeks some advantage inconsistent with their interests. The Soviet Union professes to fear that German forces might land in Latvia or Estonia and thence attack Russia, but during the.last three years the Red Army has constructed a " Soviet Maginot Line," claim as irnpregnaible,'-all *along- the frontier, - which Was formerly not fortified at all. . The term "Baltic States" includes'.also Lithuania, the third small Republic com- posing the " Baltic Entente.". The Lithuanians are of the same -Indo-European blood as the Latvians, while the Estonians are/of the same stock as the Finns. Unlike Estonia and 'Latvia, ' Lithuania - has- a common land border with Germany. With Russia,-on the other-hand, she has none, and is therefore not included in the Soviet guarantee proposals. While Estonia and Latvia have had no quarrel with any neighbor during their 20 years' existence; Lithuania has been less fortunate, having until recently been at enmity with Poland over Vilna and with Germany over Memel. Estonia and Latvia formed their alliance early in the twenties, but these quarrels kept Lithuania from joining them until 1934, when the triple Baltic Entente was formed. The Lithuanian disputes over Vilna and Memel. were expressly excluded from the scope of this entente, which is why Lithuania stood alone when a settlement of these questions was forced on her. But there are no further " specific questions" of this nature, and the three republics are now bound by their entente to present a common front to the outside world. Lithuania was absent, however, from the recent signing of non-aggression pacts in Berlin, as her pact had already been included in the agreement with Germany for the cession of Memel concluded last March. All three republics have announced individually and collectively that they will remain neutral in case their neighbors be at war, and that they will fight only in defense of their own independence. Together they will fight the State which violates their neutrality first, but they will not in advance say whether they will accept outside help, for they consider that any such hypothetical arrangement would be inconsistent with the strict neutrality for which they stand. FORMIDABLE ARMIES Singly the Baltic States could not offer much assistance to either Germany- or Russia, but their united forces would have to be taken into serious account by any army which had its main forces heavily engaged in another direction Their combined population is about 5,500,000 (Estonia 1,131,000, Latvia 2,000,000, Lithuania 2,400,000), with standing armies of 6,000(12.000,25.000, and 23,000). Universal compulsory service is the 'system throughout the area, and the armies could rapidly be expanded to a force of 500,000 men. The armies are well trained, and many of the officers have received supplementary experience abroad; and well-organized auxiliary organizations could almost immediately convert the three republics into three nations in arms. The human material is excellent. The older reserves include many who in their teens fought side by side with their fathers and grandfathers during the war which gave them their independence 20 years ago. They have since received their own plots of land and established their homes there. If these homes be invaded or threatened their owners will fight at least as well as they and their grandfathers did when they had no land of their own to defend, with the advantage that today they are well clothed, well shod, trained, and equipped. The three Presidents today-M. Konstantin Paits of Estonia, Dr. Karlis-Ulmanis of Latvia, and Colonel Antanas $metgna of-Lithuania-who have steered their.republics-through the recent period .of-constitutional reform are the same men:who-led their--nations into -the first stage of independence 20 years ago.
The Times | May 30, 1980
Michael Simy On ESTONIAN DIARY
Tallinn as my favorite city in the Soviet Union, As the train from Moscow draws.in- past the Gothic spires and ancient walls, of the medieval city you feel you-are coring to a different world- gentler, cleaner, quieter, more friendly than ;the harsh, hurried,: political atmosphere of the Soviet capital. Tallinn-literally Danish-Town is `one of the most perfectly preserved Hanseatic cities of northern Europe. And as it sheds the wooden scaffolding which has shrouded. almost every ancient structure for the past two years while craftsmen, plasterers and painters have been at work, a strikingly beautiful ensemble' of red tiled roofs, twisting cob:bled streets and painted facades emerges to dazzle the tourist. A 14m facelift has repaired years of drabness and{ neglect to get the Estonian capital into shape for the Olympic yachting regatta. Tallinn, or Revel as it used to be called, is the small capital of the smallest Soviet republic: The city has less than half a million inhabitants and Estonia, roughly the size of Belgium, has only 1,400,000 people. With an extremely low 'birthrate, there are fears- that the Estonians, now only 64 per cent of the republic's population, may soon be unable to resist gradual russification as immigrants from- other parts of the country. come to fill the highly paid vacancies in the most efficient and developed economy in all the USSR. But the Estonians have long struggled successfully to preserve their rich national culture, though they have always been at the mercy of their powerful neighbors - Russia, Germany, Sweden, Poland. Like the other Baltic republics, Estonia, flat, sparse and stony, has been a battlefield through- out history. In 700 years they have known only 20 years of fleeting, sparkling, deeply mourned independence, from 1920 till 1940.
The Estonians are part of the Finno-Ugrian peoples who swept across from Mongolia. They have broad, fair faces, a language that is rhythmic and impossibly inflected and a close kinship to the Finns. Tallinn is just across the Gulf of Finland from Helsinki. After the incorporation of Estonia into the Soviet Union all links with Finland were cut. But now things are easing up. A regular ferry brings hundreds of Finnish tourists over every weekend. Most come on vodka binges and spend two days in perpetual intoxication In the elegant Viru hotel. They sell their jeans, shirts and any. thing else they bring to finance their drinking, which goes on until they are rounded up by the police on Sunday evening and dupnped back on the boat home. .. A Finn recently explained this unfortunate image of the drunken Finn in Estonia stems partly from deep-seated social attitudes. Throughout history the Estonians were the wealthier, more cultured, more developed people while the Finns scratched a living across the Gulf. Since 1940 the situation has been reversed. But some Finns still need to show off their new riches, to flaunt his freedom in bad behaviour. Links with Finland are not simply alcoholic. All Tallinn watches Finnish television, which can easily be received with the help of a small, cheap adapter fixed to the set. It came as quite a shock when a tourist guide told me how much she enjoyed The Onedin Line and BBC television comedies exported to Finland. To Russians going to Tallinn it seems as though the western way of life has already arrived. " It's our little piece of the West ", a Russian once remarked. "The shops are better stocked, there are good cafes and restaurants, people seem better dressed, the radio broad- casts western pop music.
Above all, things seem to work in Estonia" There is a greater sense of initiative and responsibility. Private housing was permitted for many years after the war sand some elegant leafy suburbs grew up on the outskirts of the old city. Russian tourists can be seen everywhere in Tallinn. They come to buy up everything they can see in the shops, which causes some local resentment Mr V. I. Klauson, the Estonian Prime Minister, admitted at a recent press conference that Soviet tourists tend to buy clothes, shoes, meat, milk and so on but added disarmingly: " Some people prefer practical things to souvenirs. Perhaps they don't appreciate some of the same things they have at home ". The Estonians are fiercely nationalists, bunt it would be a mistake to suggest there is any real opposition to the Russian presence. Instead they show only a strongly felt attachment to their own language and culture and refuse to speak Russian.
Of all republics, Estonia is the only one where statistics show that knowledge of Russian now is more limited than it was in the last census 10 years ago. It is the only place where I have found it a positive advantage to stumble and halt in Russian (though it is surprising bow much of the language people will speak if they know you are a foreigner). I once told a Russia how much I liked Estonia. "Ah ", he smiled, " now I can see you are anti-Soviet". One great manifestation of Estonian culture is the national song festival that takes place every five years. It draws singers from all corners of the republic to Tallinn, where 20,000 people stand and sing national songs to an audience of up to 200,000. It is an emotional occasion, a national rededication of the people to their country. This year the festival will take- place just before the Olympics. As the centre for the singing competition, Tallinn will play an important part in this very different Soviet festival. The preparations have been typically thorough and tasteful. A new yachting center has been built 'just around the bay from Tallinn, complete. with a top class hotel and sports complex. '' Yachting is not a sport that most ordinary Russians- can afford, and the fleet, of smart sailing boats now moored in the new Olympic harbour made me wonder if the bourgeoisij, had taken over. In fact enthusiasts club together to buy boats, which belong to sports federations and factories. . The Olympic yachting centre will include every conceivable facility for both competition and press. It was tried out last year at the annual Baltic regatta and was found by those who took part to be well organized. The Olympic organizers "boast that the press will be able to watch the events on closed circuit television only a few feet from the speciaI bar. They Will have a battery of telex machines at hand
THREE BALTIC STATES OPENINGS FOR BRITAIN
Imperial and Foreign By Alfred C. Bossom, M.P.
A visit to Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia has convinced me that the Treaty of Versailles did well in bringing these States into being. Though once they formed part of the Russian Empire they preserved their own characteristics, their own tongues, and their own faiths. They have emerged from the upheavals of the War, and of the Peace, with their respective individualities not merely intact but deepened by the tribulations that preceded and accompanied and pursued their birth as independent States. The courses of the three Republics ran nearly parallel during the first few years of their independence. Each had been largely under the local domination of the Baltic barons, a group of German aristocrats who had possession of the best land and treated the natives as serfs. During the War the barons were driven out; after the War their estates were redistributed; and three nations of small- holders, financed by land banks, came into existence. Most of the peoples of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania thus live on their own farms, and for the necessities of life are largely self-supporting. For luxuries they must rely upon the products of foreign trade. This they are anxious to do, and of all countries Great Britain is the one with which they are most eager to carry on business. At present, while England is probably their best customer, German is the tongue which is most generally understood throughout the three Republics. They would gladly make English their second language; and the excellence of their school systems is such that, with the right kind of encouragement from us, a closer linguistic link might well be forged. The influence of centuries of German domination is not to be uprooted at once, and German industrialists are leaving nothing undone to secure for themselves the economic control of the three States. MARKET.; FOR BRITISH GOODS
This is a fate that the peoples of all three Republics unanimously dread. They would rather look to Great Britain for the coal, the machinery, the electrical equipment, and so on that their development will require. At present they sell to us about five times as much as they buy from us. It is not altogether their fault if their purchascs are not greater. There is a stable and an expanding market for British goods in these Baltic States if we have the energy and the adaptability to seize it. One of the first things done by each of the new-born Republics was to devise a complete educational system. Illiteracy today among the younger people is practically unknown, and the schools in each State have proved a powerful instrument in knitting the people together and giving them a new sense of nationhood. Possibly the scholastic pace has been a little too hot. At any rate the difficulties of providing a scheme of education that will not be too costly and will not gradually alienate the pupils from the agricultural life for which most of them are destined are proving as formidable in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia as anywhere in the world. There are only, for instance, I.900,000 people in Latvia; yet the University at Riga-a University that is unique in deriving much of its endowmcnt from an hotel-is daily attended by 9,000 students. THE RIGA LOAN It would be difficult to name a small country that has handled its post-War problems with more public spirit than Lithuania, one of the few countries in the world that are paying their way. The cost of its official services is about one-half of the cost per capita of similar services in the neighbouring State of Latvia. The Lithuanians have organized the business of agriculture with consummate success, and their stockyards and sugar refineries are exemplary. But they badly need more and better roads, and there seems no reason why British contractors should not be building them. At every factory I visited where British coal was being used the fact was pointed out with genuine pride. Latvia suffered during the War as much relatively as any of the belligerent lands. Not less zealous than her southern neighbours in hastening on the work of reconstruction, she has not been so prudent in matters of finance. The possession of Riga, with a population of about 400,000-about 200,000 less than in the days of pre-War prosperify-is more of a liability than an asset. Latvian credit abroad, and particularly in Great Britain, is still impaired by her failure to adjust the Riga loan, a loan made to the city just before the War when it was still in Russian ownership. The leading men of the city have worked out a system of exchange with France and Germany that has proved a great aid to business. They will gladly do the same with us when the Riga loan difficulty has been removed, and we can then build up an export trade commensurate with what we are paying for their butter, bacon, and timber. Living in Riga is cheap and the local method of food supply and distribution is the most ingenious and economical I have encountered. Out of the aeroplane and airship hangars erected by the Germans the Latvians have constructed covered markets, divided into hundreds of little shops, each with a 10ft. front and l0ft. deep. The river runs by the market, and the scene at 6 o'clock on a Saturday morning, when the farmers bring in their produce by boat and the chaffer- ing with the shopkeepers begins, is Covent Garden in its bustle and Venice in its setting. All the fish are kept in tanks and sold alive. The housewife picks out the one she wants, it is taken out in a net, and carried home fresh from its native element. They need our coal and machinery in Latvia. It is. a country of small orders, but not so small as not to be worth consideration. When the credit situation is disentangled many profitable businesses await our manufacturers if they will send out the men who will look into the country's requirements, speak some language that the people can understand, and make friends with them. The feeling in Latvia towards Britain is cordial and the desire for closer business and cultural relations is universal. Of the three new Baltic States Estonia is the most historic and its capital, Tallinn (formerly Reval), a completely walled city like Carcassonne, red-roofed and wave-washed, is the most striking city of the Baltic. The Estonians are practical people and they have given an eminently practical turn to their educational system, especially to their girls' schools, where dressmaking on a profit-sharing basis forms part of the curriculum. They are careful spenders and they are building up a prosperous country and a fleet with which to trade with the outer world. Here again I found the utmost friendliness towards England and a desire to make English the second language. These three Baltic Republics deserve our support and our interest, for cultural and political as well as commercial reasons. There is not a Bolshevist among them. Any doubt about them is not due to their seemingly precarious position as buffer States, but to the apprehension that in forming themselves into three separate Governments they may have shouldered a greater burden of overhead expenses than they will be able to carry. The entire British Empire is represented in all three countries by one Minister, whose residence is in Riga. But all three countries maintain separate and fully equipped Legations in London. The Latvian trade delegation, consisting of M. Kacen, director of the Trade Department, and M. Ekis, director of the Foreign Ministry's Western Department, arrived in London on Tuesday evening and yesterday visited the Board of Trade. The delegation are empowered to negotiate with the British Government for a new Anglo-Latvian trade agreement.
The Times | June 24, 1941
BALTIC "REVOLTS"
Reports received in Stockholm last night from Berlin inferred that Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia were in revolt against Russia. Soviet quarters in Stockholm admitted unrest in the Baltic States, but claimed that a revolt in Estonia had been crushed. A broadcast from Lithuania picked up in Stockholm said that Lithuania had pro- claimed herself a free and independent State, while another report from Helsinki, received in Stockholm, declared that the Lithuanian flag had been hoisted on official buildings in Kaunas, the capital. These reports were denied by the Russian official news agency, which stated that complete calm reigned in the city, and thousands were volunteering to fight against the Germans.
The Times | September 29, 1939
RIBBENTROP'S MISSION TO MOSCOW STALIN'S PART IN PROLONGED DISCUSSIONS POLAND AS THE MAIN ISSUE COMMONS DEBATE ON WAR BUDGET
Talks between the German Foreign Minister and M. Stalin and M. Molotoff continued yesterday. It is believed in Moscow that the communiqué on the talks, when it is issued, will refer only to Poland. The Foreign Relations Committee of the American Senate yesterday approved the Neutrality Bill permitting the sale of arms to belligerents. Approval was given by 16 votes to seven. The House of Commons showed, in its first debate on the War Budget, confidence in the firm resolve of the nation to bear its burdens with fortitude, coupled with a strong demand for the prevention of waste. SOVIET-GERMAN TALKS KREMLIN DINNER From Our Own Correspondent MOSCOW, SEPT. 28 The conversations between M. Molotoff and Ribbentrop continued to-day. M1. Stalin was probably present. The results are not yet known, but it is hinted in usually well-informed quarters that the communiqué, when it is forthcoming, will refer only to Polish affairs. The Turkish Foreign Minister is re- ported to have had a free day, which he devoted to a visit to the agricultural exhibition and sight-seeing.
The Estonian Foreign Minister, M. Selter, is still here. It is believed that he saw M. Molotoff last night and awaits a further communication from the Kremlin. Soviet relations with Estonia have been further complicated by a second alleged attack against a Soviet steamer by an unknown submarine in Narva Bay. The steamer is said to have been torpedoed but to have run ashore to prevent sinking. FOUR-HOUR TALKS Ribbentrop's first conversation with M. Molotoff began at 1I p.m. yesterday and ended at 3.30 a.m. to-dav. M. Stalin was present, and also Count von der Schulenburg, the German Ambassador in Moscow, and M. Schvartseff, the Soviet Ambassador in Berlin. The German Foreign Minister returned to the Kremlin at 2 p.m. for discussions lasting until six o'clock. M. Mlolotoff had arranged to give an official dinner for the German delegation at five o'clock, but the conversations lasted longer than had been expected, and the dinner started one hour late. All parties concerned in the Moscow conversations are maintaining most complete reserve. The Soviet Press contained nothing beyond the announcement that Ribbentrop was here by invitation of the Soviet Government to discuss the question of Poland. This could naturally embrace the question of common defense of Soviet and German territorial gains against third parties, in addition to the final partition of Poland. But if a military alliance is under discussion it is thought curious that the German delegation does not include any representatives of the High Command. Turkish representatives have not yet been associated with the German-Soviet talks. and their Foreign Minister, M. Sarajoglu, does not expect to see Mr. Molotoff until Ribbentrop has left, probably tomorrow.
FATE OF ESTONIA The Estonians meanwhile are keeping themselves inzcommzitunlicado. It is rumoured today that the torpedoing incidents by submarines, alleged to have been operating off the Estonian coast, will lead to a Soviet-Estonian military alliance, which would permit the Russian Navy to keep watch over Estonian waters and to fortify the islands guarding the entrance of the Gulf of Finland; these incidentally dominate the Gulf of Riga. Directly or indirectly, such an alliance would naturally have important internal and political con- sequences for the Baltic States. The revival of Soviet interest in the Balkans since the occupation of Poland is marked not only by the presence of the Turkish Foreign Minister in Moscow but through the appointment of a new Minister in Bulgaria. The diplomatist chosen, M. Laventrieff, is Director of the East European Department of the Foreign Office. A Bulgarian officer, Colonel Boydeff, described as chief of the Bulgarian Civil Aviation, has arrived in Moscow, ostensibly to arrange the opening of an air line between Moscow and Sofia. MIDNIGHT MEETING The Soviet-German talks (says Reuter) were resumed at the Kremlin soon after midnight. At the official dinner last night M. Stalin and M. Voroshiloff, as well as M. Potemkin, the Deputy Commissar for Foreign Affairs, were present. A mutual desire for the further intensification and development of political and economic relations between the two countries is stated to have been ex- pressed in speeches during the dinner. Afterwards Ribbentrop attended a ballet performance at the Opera House. A Moscow message adds:-Among Ribbentrop's hosts were two Jews-Lazar Kaganovich, Comrnissar for Heavy Industry, and Abraham Lozovsky.
