THREE PEASANT STATES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 181, 5 August 1935, Page 10

THREE PEASANT STATES

Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia

r piIERE HAS COME into existence, almu-l unnoticed in the throng and press of big world events, a new group-in-r of States which is calculated to play a not unimportant part in the affairs of •.•astern Europe. Known as the Bailie Entente, it links Hie three Stales of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in a sori of co-operative arrangement which is more Hum an alliance and hss than a union, write Mr Robert Machray in the “Christian >Siem Monitor. ’' While keeping their own form of government, laws, tariffs and so forth, the three countries are henceforward to endeavour lo act externally as a unit. They concert their foreign policy, hold periodical conferences like the Little Entente and generally present us tar us possible a common front toward the rest of the world —particularly their big neighbours, Soviet Russia ami Germany Where and what are the Bailie States J Ju my experience these questions are by no means superfluous. Many people, not vve.l grounded in their geography and misled by a similarity tn the sound of the names, are apt to confuse Baltic, with Balkan. It is a favourite mistake with compositors and often passes the proof readers. A Baltic League has just been formed, and it may bo mixed up with the Balkan League that recently came into existence. Yet the Balkans are separated from the Baltic Sea by almost the whole length of continental Europe, as will be seen by a glance at the map. From the west, much the pleasantest way of reaching the Baltic States is by the North Sea route, either via the Kiel Canal or round Jutland into the Baltic by the Skagerrak and the Kattegat —magical names to me when I was a child. From central Europe a delightful and shorter voyage may be maue from Stettin or Danzig, themselves Baltic ports. But Baltic shipping, like so many other things in these difficult times, is not what it was, and steamers may not always be available. Trains er planes, or both, may have to Lo taken. But if you cun go “up the Baltic,’’ the phrase is, in a boat, you 'will at least know that your trip has nothing Balkan about it. At first it may be a little puzzling, too, to understand why the expression Baltic States is nowadays pretty well restricted to three quite small countries on the eastern shore of the Baltic—namely, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania —though Germany, Poland, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Danzig have also their share, greater or less, of tho coast of the Baltic, considered as one vast water area. ’The explanation is that since the World War a convention has grown up and become established respecting this nomenclature. Baltic Provinces of Russia Before tho World War, the larger part ol the territory which is now Estonian and Latvian was always called tho “Baltic Provinces of Russia”, and the word Baltic stuck to the whole of it afterward When Estonia and Latvia achieved their independence tn 1918-1919, they were described as the “New Baltic States.” Lithuania, though an old State revived like Poland, was popularly added to their number, not only because of its propinquity, but also because from the start it associated itself with tho two other States in advocating their political union. Gradually the qualification “New was dropped, and the term ‘Baltic Status'’ came into general use. These States arc very interesting in themselves, but in the Baltic the past meets and mingles with the present, especially on those eastern shores, in a manner which charms and fascinates. Anyone who sails up —or down, lot that matter—that sea and puts m at such historic ports as Danzig. Riga and Reval, all still lull ot mcmor.es and memorials ot the power ami glory ol the great Hanseatic League of the Middle Ages, must indeed be a dull person it he does not feel himself encompassed by an atmosphere of glowing romance Naturally, tho story ot the eastern Baltic goes much farther back, but tho records of the earlier period are ■scantv and somewhat blurred. Unfortunately, at least in my view, Hu: extreme nationalist spirit of our age has had its effect on the Baltic States as elsewhere. Not a lew wellknown names ol ports and towns lune been replaced by others that arc strange, but. are asserted to be oldci or butter. Lithuania has changed .Menu I into Klaipeda, ami Estonia has substituted Tallinn lor Reval. Latvia Intelv decreed that all correspondence, including telegrams, must be addressed to the town, street and person in Hu official Latvian names, or it will not In delivered. The Government justifies this action on the ground that, with tew exceptions, tho names now to be used exclusively are the original and ancient ones which were changed aud mutilated during “tho period of Russion and German influence’'—that is.

belorc Latvia »as an independent p» litical entity. A few had small farms, and some ot them were petty traders and fishermen, but the majority were just labourers on tho big German properties. Thev were poor, illiterate and oppressed even alter they ceased to bo sorts. But both Estonians and Latvians possessed the rudiments of nationalism m then* wonderful folklore, handed (.low n Hom generation to generation, and jn tbeir languages, which survived despite everything, as did their old customs and distinctive attire, lheir nationalism, alter a short flaming up during the Russian Revolution of PJLo, realised itself after the World War, and to-day Etonia is Estonian and urn. via. is Latvian. hi 1919 most of tho Russians withdrew or were driven out, and one of Fno first things both nations did after acquiring independence was to pass legislation depriving the German aristocracy of their estates and dividing them up among the landless peasantry Of course, many Germans quitted the territory, but many remained. It Russian influence ceased, the same cannot be said of German. Not only does something of the German spirit still radiate from such beautiful buildings as the House of the Black Caps in Riga, but German is tho “second language” of both Estonia and Latvia, though an attempt is now being made in the schools to replace it by English. Lithuania did not belong to the Baltic Provinces of Russia, but she, too, formed part of tho Tsarist Empire and was largely identified with Poland, her old ally. Her landed aristocracy was mostly Polish or Polonised, while the lower classes were nearly pure Lithuanian, the autochthonous race. Even when united to Poland she had remained a separate nation, and it was natural enough for her to become an indo pendent State again when the World War gave her the opportunity. She, too, sequestrated the estates of her aristocracy and divided them up among her peasantry. At the outset she had not Memel on her hands, and her Germans were lew m number. Not Kindred Peoples. The Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians are not kindred peoples; their languages are distinct from one another; their common tie is their juxtaposition on the Baltic, and it is this, or rather* its implicatons, that led to their signing a treaty of political union recently. Each State started out as b democratic republic, but strains and stresses of various kinds have resulted in turning the governments of ail three into dictatorships. Some of the troubles were internal, but others were external, as, lor instance, tho pressure ot National Socialist expansionist aims All three States arc under a mild iorm ot martial law —so mild is it that the ordinary visitor, on pleasure er information Lent, is not aware of it, though now and again ho may fuel some surprise at seeing so many soldiers about. The reign of law and order is perfect; indeed, it is the case that most of the inhabitants have gladly submitted themselves to their dictators and to being deprived of their parliaments, as they believe that mi “authoritarian'’ form of government is best adapted to the present position of affairs in their respective countries. In conclusion it may be noted that the cultural development of these peasant States has been as swift as remarkable. They emerged almost at a bound, it might be said, from the bad, old conditions. Each has its university, and high schools; tho ordinary, common schools are to Lo found even m the smallest village. With the desire tor education goes a love of music, art and the liner things. Riga, formertv one of the centres of grand opera, lias regained something ot its aforetime tame. Influence of Other Nations Most important is this reference to the period ol Russian and German influence— “domination” would be a more adequate word, and it applies to Estonia as well as Latvia. Lithuania was m a different position, for her story was connected with Poland rather than with Russia or Germany. Under th*# tsarist regime tho “Baltic Provinces” presented a curious anomaly; though under the Russian Government, they were ruled by a local German aristocracy, the “Baltic Barons,” descendants of tho crusading Teutonic Knights who had conquered aud settled in that ares centuries before. Those “Balts” had large estates and parliaments of their own; they gave allegiance to tho tsars, but, while keeping qU good terms with the Russian officials, did pretty much what they liked. In tlio old Hansa ports ano in the inland towns there were many other Germans, and the culture ol’ tlie whole region was (predominantly German. Tho bulk of the population, however, was uot Geranin, but Estonian in tho north and Lettish, or what is now called Latvian, in the south. Up to 1861 most of the members of these autochthonous races were simply serfs, and their national consciousness was undeveloped till almost the beginning of the present century.