Russia's Treatment of Germany

Northern Advocate, 1 December 1939, Page 4

Russia's Treatment of Germany

IT would be interesting to know the innermost thoughts of Herr Hitler in respect of the Russo-German pact and the use that Russia has made of that pact. The invasion of Finland, following upon the overlordship of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, is a matter which Germany cannot with comfort. She must view with alarm the coming of Russia into the Baltic, for, even if the Soviet were to obtain no greater footing than it enjoys to-day, it threatens all that Germany hoped possession of Danzig would safeguard.

So far as the Baltic is concerned, the Soviet has obtained decidedly the better of the bargain with Germany, while the division of Poland was all to the advantage of the Russian member of the pact. Russia has to all intents and purposes ousted Germany from the Baltic. The evacuation of German people from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania at the order of Soviet Russia must have left unpleasant thoughts in the minds of many people in the Reich who had been brought up to boast of German colonisation in the Eastern Baltic. The Baltic littoral has for centuries been closely linked with Prussia. This littoral has always been a special sphere of German influence, and of late has been persistently claimed by Nazi propagandists as a proper field for the expansion of the German Lebensraum. Hitler, in his book, “JVlein Kampf,” stated plainly his views on the importance of this territory as providing room for expansion of the German people. “If we speak of new lands in Europe,” he wrote, “we shall be thinking of Russia and the border states. We will cast our eyes to the East. We will begin where we left off 600 years ago.” Hitler was referring to the fact that six centuries ago the Teutonic knights carried German influence into those parts by fire and sword, and he doubtless visualised a continuance of that gentle method of colonisation by the Reich. Instead of that, Russia has enforced the exodus of Germans from the Baltic States, and has now, by invading Finland, created a menace, ideological as well as territorial, to the Fathei land itself. Finland, of course, is a Scandinavian country rather than a Baltic country, and in that fact is to be discerned a factor which must give Herr Hitler still further cause for wonder why he joined hands with Russia.