UNWILLING SUBJECTS OF GERMANY

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 78, 28 September 1918, Page 9

UNWILLING SUBJECTS OF GERMANY

TRADITIONS TOP. TOE LETTS

HOSTILITY- TO iTHETEtrrON.

' -Recently a-telegram appealed in paper! ;; • Boisheyik lies in"; Lettish' cities-and -tbai'v. Germans ■ recruit Letts for various work ■•■ (writes>K..'V. jM'^New- Yorb':',;- ;, differ [about all this.; Amongl^ Letts-there;is &'proverb, "i'Tis easier to;;: tkndw oneself than to judge. oi^if;"Tha(iL:': is <■ why, knowing- my--.country.>:and.: its;, "as ;weJlVas I; know.,.myselfj-;', 1!!!.';. ; feel, qualified to" explain; the: aforesaid* truthfully-for the benefit. of those whose':: :judgment- will -beiof. value;!;?::;/: ; '':T\%i\. "Jn- thesefowr years of bloody war,,the . Worid found put a: great "de^ab'out~GeK~; :mans, .though: it seems;t'o me; that Anier:;' rica does .not-yet; know; the-: real nature; ot,Germans,-due perhaps to.;the fact that':: a" free" "American': peopler.canrio't therjiature of ;a• real'German'.autocrat.-- -■- 3 -'-My^life -u-M'"dbi'^^£iike(lfiwi.th;'th:aJ,': .B'alti<S...;l lrovincie;.rwhere working -people^';- :- peasants,. farmers, and rich land • owners,7 j barons,•• are -mainly,,of German:extraction;.' and- German nature,-, as toAp'ermit. me' top speak "-of Hhem/ /History -has.no. .date, of!v( the first .Lettish- settlors.,"-;;At ;any ■ rate,.» <it'was" very !long ago.'::' The.proof:.of;Jtheir.• / 'ancient-origin lies in,the;language,'which.-;' is' the .only one ;that;"b?ars :apy relatibtt-:: ;to ■'■'Sanskrit.:up.to; the:.'presentstime^ ' v? ■';.-; ''Up to 1 the , thirteenth ; century,: Letts :, '. were .heathens,'but .their, heathenism'Syai;.'.; expressed .in"the;most beautifnl manner;,; Ancient Letts usually worshipped Nature.V In*;the."centre;of liefla'ndiai. :Silais mounr'■., tain lis ■ locatedj •■ snrronnded"bycejitury-;', old•; orchards.-.-In'.;;these , orchards 1 eternal. fire■ ", «uid.. green; were :\sov•ereigns.-'\ Ohce:< a cyear aU the; /peoplei '. from 1: all <• corners ■: gathered! ion '.;. tho * -mountain to celebrate the spring festival. '.':. The .; doors'^of ..all homes were (,] left unlocked, so that' •: those ■ who:' travelled v toward the mountain to'; celebrate cejilcVi partake'- of ,i food to strengthen them on'•';■ the way.' The holiday was>begdn'by; holy.irites, atid\ ceremonies, ending with;;,' dances. /;. At .first the; venerable old Lmen.;'. danced, ■; followed by young girls. Qa -' ,thatTday;b.bth old and.young had to 1 for- 1' get; all' their quarrelsivforgetr'all theiptroubles," ■: and .-establish ■: peace "and ;har-i ; of freedom, • lovei and happiness. '< Ancient ; Letts lived happily.;,' .; •- '•.■'!'•:'•.- ■ : \ 1.-'. ■'.".-V'i '':'i .;■" And then the Germans came; with fir» anid •: sword ■'&iy".'m&;;meryyrsm&-.\Tli!ii-:; ajweat'Letts fon^.,b»7ely,7diednobry; for theirl land, fent VTrhst cam a small,country'do against Va great big one ?:. ' They could not withetand the Germans, ■were, conquered., .by ; them, >nd made stavea.:i'A\:.i^;^ v.>*?;,t'"y'"'V'"-''.!-'.; '■ ••-.";•';V-' ;■}? •-Seven tnrodied y«*r« have passed, sincer that time;' and,; thoogii Hie 'Letts -• were; tinder Swedish power,laodc lastly, nudap the>Rnssaaji-bainerjsince'.l7]Jo,-:.the : G^ ;. mans aiano really-ebslavod' andl perseicnted: r the.Lekißh naUon.. 'Wthj.nnbeliev-; { able "cruelty" and consistency the Ger- : mania ruled•■ the/iL^B-- - P^d ~ Jaen , an*: women, with, tears in. (ieir eyes, relate.;, .how--"they .■were tortnied'aiid how tiiey gufferei'-.. The; national; eoiigs " narratei 1 tfieisnfferißg theLßft«;laSgone'tbjongh,: SOTgS^-iwhose.beauty Tic. of file first ranfc: among tho Eoropean nstiona. ". ■; ,' ; :\ Nowadaj*,...the-Letts carsfnUy ispllec*. and,keep these" historical memories. The whole;nation is prood t& :them,,because;; they. were.ncit' destroyed,'.though for cen-; tunes under the German yoke- J Neithe* could :ti» Germans crash ; their indepen-;, dent;dieati*a apirit. Vlhoeyer heard that; sad, sincere ,;f melodies = understood the(f pathos and: aofferihg* of.theination; In--. deed, their sufferingsTWere immense, but 1 the spirit of the Letts -wae noble also. ■•'.- For quite* while, the Lett* realiße* thatinordee to.fightand beat Germany! they had to, ■ use . .pmely iedncationaEj means, andm the\bst7fifty.: years history,) markij: unbefievabUi ■ tendencies )tpward»v education and cutture..' Ofut of.thia com-.?-. 1 mori' eavironment, ::agiicultarißt«i doctor^ profeasbrs,; ebcL; : ooine by, hondreds, an*, they,,:tbgethOT'wM:ithe coinmoii .people,/ fought against tti© Germans on ;a» ecpwM ; mic-basia.. :■'■■■"::' r- •.-.-'.-''^v;;.'\'; \c:';:'':.■■' ;^].-; ■ -Tho Germaw, .'Grarman DackeaS bylGermajn.;money, consid«r«id T it a-rnett--ace/ oaid; abutted a • propaganda-;again*. thet'-'lietts." '...ISiey., .participated 1;; in "tho;:;' 1905 revolution, for by a ,reyop of U»;; Lettwh'pebple they conldjpro.ve:.that.the!; Letts': were atdangeroua-.ineßace"_to;;th<»! :Ku^M;GoverMent.;The^^r^gavethe» Getniana;• pennisffloiiitoi" formVejcpeditiong:; : iii 'order!to,punish,-^e'Letts'who were* impacted; in the'.reyoluto; ' The • Geiv mans,, were } OabugE (tKisV iprovmce witf» •fire* and'BWord.;;Swui>driels'' and. Genna*, agents vanished, and innoceni, nuserablel poor, peasants ,were. punished. ,1,.., _■::.,,. ,1, "The wair,begaii.:;.ißow .^ell,'l;remerajj ' her '=■ the -first- day-V.bl-. thef whenv. Lettish.. troops;"werei swamped /.by! ijpses^thrpwnbyi.girls, who jjroud'. of-^heir^^uture-^^roev^^V^**:.^:--: Germany!"./And ;l',Avithout;-e>[aggeration: : canjsay that such enthusiasinj; such wifl torfl|bt, the "Germans^"^^no;bther.'part7."6E; ; Rnssia^posseßSed. 1 ;'3i'l t TJ*"''S"-'('^Z;Z*-;SZ; ■' ■ ■;r: -Multitudes- volunteered^ •■';l»t-»;- great 1 deal of/ effort "was "Ased "■■ toj.get'.. perniisr I sion to organise.a separate Lettish talion from : the ; RußSian Government. - And- here-the German agents; -wrkedf', with alL.their might,and main.... J,;';'..:, v h- The" Lettish battalions; fought.' bravely £ • their : heroic d'eeye ire recorded in Qia -.-. HStorylof,;this, Jgreatvwar, as immortal; Sm^;is thie; past histoty of^ tl»e', liettflK ■ people.'!" Knowing the ::past,v one; cab judge: the -present.- ?J:Ai>d the pasi tells.' usHhat,a Lett cannoti;be on tiliersame; side with the Germans', and that he can, fight and'f.will: fight ; only agr : T76t ' 'the-;, G^rnaans.anii thet'despotism.-• : ■) i -And; so,' when' I" hear, that the Letta i are 'fighting on • lienin's -side, involuntarUyLr^colle.ct;.the ■ 'tinte'^ when: Russian soldiersVwrote ;that=peasants; in Germany; live --wonderfully welL; 'But ! tiiis;~.was'' not;Gerriiahy..- It .was the" then flourish- ; ing Kurland or Courland arid~the cultivated estates of .the Letts. ,;,: And' so it - is now—these are not Letts,'-but. something; else.-:. ■; ; -:,:- _ i'-y- ""K;/ -4:f]:: ■■}'■'■'•' :'. 1;; ] ■ :\ Eyeri'before the disperssdrof the Cdn-i £tituent;,',,Assembly J> ; Lettish. ;.teachers, who 1 wtaperthe leaders/of-the Lettish peo^ pie, seiit; put ;a* summons,' "which sound* , soitiewhatjlike'thisrT-'JThißr'e; are; rumour* that.Lenin wants ; to utilise loyal Lettish ./ soldiers t fori the *'d&persal ;'of c the • Constitutioial "Assembly, teachers' of-: the. BaltiS: Province''Letts,.-: ask whe= ther 'any Lett: willrdare to lift his hand tozsautei-the great' .Russianpowerji-the ; CoMtituenfc: Assembly?": :.■";; '/■-':.: