RUSSIA AND BESSARABIA

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 April 1940, Page 4

RUSSIA AND BESSARABIA

ANNEXATION POLICY

Since the Bessarabian Sfatul ’I arei National Council —declared for autonomy at the time of the Bolshevik Revolution, this northern province of Itoumania has never felt at ease, rhe Kremlin has maintained far too ominous a silence for the peace of mind of its unfortunate people, and they nevei forget that only a river divides them from the might of the Soviet legions (writes Basil Fuller, in the Sydney Morning Herald”). The political situation in regard to Roumania’s “annexation” of Bessarabia is tangled, and if the Russian Government intends, as is widely believed to make Bessarabia the object of a further aggression, it will have no difficulty in advancing arguments to try to justify the action. It may even say. and with some semblance of accuracy' that Washington has never considered that Roumania’s claim was legally justified. The position needs clarification. When Roumania joined the Allies during the Great War she hoped to receive the Banat, a province of Hungary, and Bessarabia as her reward. Bessarabia, was then a Government of South-west Russia. Under the terms of a secret treaty of 1916 Roumania was promised the Banat, but no decision could be made regarding Bessarabia, in view of the fact that Russia supported the Allied cause. In 1917, however, Revolution caused Russia to desert the Allies, and when, on December 15 of that year, Bessarabia proclaimed herself an independent republic, Roumania sent troops'to help fight the Bolsheviks. Thus the Roumanians established a stake in the province. But on May 7, 1918, Germany forced Roumania. to sign the Treaty of Bucharest, under the terms of which all Roumanian troops evacuated Bessarabia.

Then came the collapse of Germany, and, immediately, without waiting for Allied consent, Roumania annexed the province. In support of this action, there is no shadow of doubt that the Bessarabians strongly desired union with her. Eventually, the Allied Supreme Council in Paris gave its blessing to the Roumanian action. On October 28, 1920, the council stated that there was strong historical and ethnographical justification for the union. But, and this “but” has now .become of great importance, the United States stood aside from the treaty on the ground that no representative of the Russian Government, had been present to state the Soviet side of the case.

Here, then, is the loophole, of which Russia probably intends to make use to-day. In September, 1936, I talked to a Russian —ironically enough in a hotel in Helsinki—upon, this vexet] subject. His reaction to my support of Rouinania’s possession was immediate and: delivered with some venom.

“Our Government, and, indeed, all educated Russians, regard .Bessarabia as 'occupied territory,’ '> he exclaimed. “Wc do not recognise Roumania’s forcible annexation, and I would remind you! that the United States was not a parly to the Treaty of Paris, surely a significant fact suggesting that tlieje is much justice in our point of viey.” Twice since the time of the historic dec. siou of the Allied Supreme Council, once in Genoa in 1922 and again in v ienua in 1924, have Russian and Roimanian delegates met to discuss

the Bessarabian problem, and failed to arrive at a settlement.

A GUARDED RIVER

The Dniester forms the boundary between Bessarabia and Russia. In days gone by it was a busy river. The songs of boatmen taking grain, wool, wine, and flax to the Black Sea port of Akkerman were heard constantly from its banks. For, despite the fact that in many parts navigation is impeded by rocks, sandbanks, rapids, and winter ice and summer drought, the Dniester was an important commercial waterway.

To-day, those who travel in Bessarabia find that the Dniester is more or less deserted —save for . the Soviet pickets on the left bank, and the Roumanian pickets on the right. The province is in a state of military occupation. The headquarters of the Roumanian troops is at Kishinev, the chief town.

In the days when Bessarabia was Russian, three railways were built to converge upon the port of Odessa, while a fourth linked with Akkerman, and thence by sea with Odessa. This fact does not simplify the union with Roumania. Furthermore, Bessarabian cereals, fruit, and wine found a, steady market in Russia, whereas they are far less easily sold to Roumania, which is predominantly agricultural. Despite these commercial disadvantages, however, the vast majority of the population —about 3,200,000 —wish to remain under Roumanian government. A MIXED PEOPLE The people are of very mixed stock. Roumanians predominate. They constitute about 50 per cent, of the population. But there are many Russians and a large number of Poles, Bulgars, Tartars, and even Germans. The Germans are descended from colonists who settled in the Budjak steppe to the west of Akkerman in 1811. Amongst certain of these minorities there is a measure Of discontent, but there can be no doubt regarding the loyalty to Bucharest of the mass of the people. Shortly before the Avar, I stayed in Constanza, the famous Roumanian port on the Black Sea. Here I sought to ascertain the feelings, of the people regarding the danger that threatens their northern province. The popular opinion was summed up in the remarks of an important business man, who was on holiday from Bucharist: “The Russians want to hold the mouth of the Danube,” he said. “This is more important to them than the whole of Bessarabia. So one day they will attack. It is true that they have said that they have no interest in the province. But beware of the Russian when he talks peace. He is ruthless; more ruthless than the German.”

In the light of recent events in Finland, these remarks assume sinister significance. It should be remembered that Bessarabia is an integral part of old Imperial Russian territory and that the decision of the people for union with Roumania was legally invalid. In other words, the Russian Government has refused to recognise Bessarabia as a Roumanian province. The only matter that seems still to be in doubt is when the moves for reconquest will begin.