THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES WEDNESDAY, October 4, 1939. RUSSIA AND THE BALTIC

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23930, 4 October 1939, Page 6

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES WEDNESDAY, October 4, 1939. RUSSIA AND THE BALTIC

As the price of her pact with Germany Russia, in addition to a new frontier in Poland, can contemplate a considerably reinforced position in the Baltic. To this end she has manoeuvred astutely. The tortuous track of her diplomacy is only now being definitely disclosed. During the long-drawn-;out discussions which attended the explanation by the British and French. Governments of the possibilities of reaching a political agreement, with the Sqviet Government in order to secure its participation in the work of the Peace Front, Russia showed a particular concern for her own safety. She attempted to gain, through a system of guarantees, a basis for political intervention in the affairs of her neighbour States. Russia desired Great Britain arid France to guarantee the integrity of the Baltic States. This produced a deadlock, because these States, basing all their calculations on their absolute neutrality, refused to accept the guarantee proposal. Russia doubted, or professed to doubt, whether Estonia, Latvia and Finland would be able to defend their neutrality if it came to a test. Ostensibly she wished for their inclusion in a new security front on the ground of a possible violation of their neutrality by Germany, which would threaten her own territory. In firmly rejecting the proposed security guarantees, however, the Baltic republics were chiefly actuated, there is reason to judge, by an actual fear of Russian tutelage. . They saw Russia aiming at a sort of protectorate of the Baltic States, and constituting herself the first judge of the question whether they were " threatened." That their judgment was not altogether erroneous would seem to be established in the light of subsequent developments. So far from avoiding the embrace of Russia, which then seemed to them by no means disinterested, the Baltic States now find themselves in a position of being no longer able to reject it. By virtue of her agreement with Germany, Russia is able to assume the role of their protector, whether they like it or not. No doubt her Government planned accordingly. Estonia has been the first of the Baltic States to feel the pressure of Soviet proposals. She has had to become party to a pact which places her virtually in the position of a vassal State. Latvia is confronted with a similar prospect, and it is reported that the kindly Russian overtures are being extended also to Finland. Sweden cannot affect to be unconcerned at these developments. A Stockholm journal writes anxiously of the creation of a wholly new situation in the Baltic, signifying the conversion of the Baltic States at one blow to the Russian sphere of influence. The Helsingfors correspondent of the New York Times writes of the opening of a new chapter in Baltic history, and the danger to Finland with the North Baltic under Soviet hegemony. If Latvia must subscribe to a Russian protectorate, Lithuania may have to follow suit, since Germany has permitted Russia to go so far already in exacting the price of the co-opera-tion of Moscow with Berlin. There is a definite report that Soviet overtures to Lithuania have already materialised. Presumably another will follow in due course to the effect that her Government, like that of Estonia, has expressed its gratitude for the "wise guidance" of Russia.