How to Untangle the baltic Knot-A Democratic Solution
SCHWARZ, SOLOMON
How to Untangle the baltic Knot-A Democratic Solution By Solomon Schwarz AI I eucnrtd in the preceding article (New Lender, f gkiajgurj M), the Baltic knot has become ex-Wsnwasy tMnfled. la June,...
...Bolsheviks on Annexation The Second All-Russian Soviet Congress on November 18, 1918, adopted this resolution, particularly interesting in connection with the Baltic States snd the Russo-Polisb dispute: "In rase s nstion is retsined by force snd against its wishes (or will) within the confines of snother state—and this will is manifested either in print or at meetings of the people, or by resolutions of movements, or by protests and resurrections against nstions...
...The UGT (Spanish General Union of Labor) has made, at my suggestion, a similar appeal to the British Trade Union Congress...
...No one can foresee the course of future events with absolute certainty, and, what is more, every resistance, of democratic public opinion t« anti-democratic developments', even if unsuccessful for the moment, tends to consolidate the forces of democracy, and t* increase their influence upon future events...
...States nor world democracy ran reconcile themselves...
...it is I in ng ii rule and a crime...
...See the text in "Latvia in 1939-42," published by the eVasa Bureau of the Latvian Legation, Washington, D. C, 1942, pages-106-106...
...It is a curious fart that it is not the Socialists, nor the liberal republicans, nor the syndicalists who are attempting to ally themselves with the Spanish monarchists but the Spanish Communists...
...They charge that my trip from Mexico City to New York, made for the sole purpose of boosting wsr bond sales among the Spanish-American colony here, was really for the purpose of maneuvering to restore the monarchy in Spain...
...Niether Monarchist nor Buddhist By Indalecio Prieto Til h' American Communists have flntt* red me with salvos from the heavy artillery of their press...
...For by their participation in the coups d'etat, the supreme state authorities themselves sanctioned the tranfer of power to new organs which later were absorbed by the Soviets...
...A peculiar constitutional situation has arisen which is legslly termed "vacuum juris," i ? . an interruption of legslity...
...In order to avoid any misinterpretation of this vote, under the present circumstances, it must be carried out under the direct supervision of democratic powers, not interested in its issue...
...The Latvian Embassy, moreover, bases its viewpoint upon the decision of the Latvian cabinet of May 17, 1940 (which at the time was kept secret), to grant extraordinary powers to the Latvian envoy in London, and as his substitute upon the Latvian envoy in Washington, "in case R should not longer be possible (for the Latvian Government) to communicate with I.atvia's diplomatic and consular missions...
...This is analogous to their repeated allegations that Socialists and liberals who reject the party line are socisl fascists, agents of Hitler and Hirohito...
...What is then the way out of the . (jitthkg situation ? It kt eften aigued that thia is an idle question, for, gknm thr Soviet Government nlone will settle it, what is the use of patsling one's brains over matters which cannot be helped...
...It cannot confer upon them—after all that happened—the moral and political authority to be regarded as a substitute government of the Latvian people or as a kind of Latvian Committee of Liberation...
...That past is dead and buried, because the regime vihirh existed in the three nations before the war itself Sprang fsiam revolts, and was of a semi-fascist character...
...BECAUSE Indalecio l'rielo, the former Minister of war in the Loyalist Government, and leader of the Socialist Party, heads the Spanish Committer (or National Liberation (Junta) uniting democratic elements but excluding Communists, he has been the subject of attacks in the fellow-traveling press...
...At present it is not possible to foresee the result of such a vote: it might bring about the lestoiation of Irfttvia, Estonia and Lithuania as independent nations, or their union with the Kussian Federation (the Soviet Union...
...The Spanish Committee of Liberation, of which I am secretary, and whose pact of coalition of various republican paities 1 wrote, has unequivocally <U--clared its adamant opposition to the monarchy...
...One calumny is that Prieto favors an alliance with monarchists...
...I am quite willing to compare my record in this respect with that of anyone in the Communist ranks...
...And vice versa: capitulation before the 'inevitable" paves the way for more ''inevitables" to follow...
...What Is important is that they continue their old tactics of character assassination, lying and distortion, against all opponents and critics of Russia and the Comintern—that they remain, as always, irresponsible, disruptive, and eantemntible...
...This decision of the Latvian Cabinet may be sufficient to make the Latvian eaveys in London and Washington a kind of trustees Latvia abroad...
...ISREGARDING this fact, the old official represeiita-tives of the Baltic States in America contend (hat their nations were simply violated and occupied hist by the Soviet Union, then by Germany...
...I do not censure them for this, but merely point out the inherent contradiction between their widely proclaimed breaking of international ties, and the continued unison of action, the unanimity, with which the Communist parties everywhere interfere in the affairs of Spain and other countries...
...If they called me a Buddhitl, Me charge would have grehCer jutti/iratioH, for I am told by friends that I thow tome phytical retembktuc* to Buddha...
...The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party hss recently, at my initiative, appealed to the British Labor Party to oppose the tendency in certain quarters in London to support the restoration of the Spanish monarchy...
...la June, 1940, upheavals shook the thyn* Bel*** States, New coups d'etat emerged in the jiaat, reentries fallowing the elections in mid-July...
...But joking aside, all Spaniards know that while we suffered under the tyranny of Alphonso XIII, no Spanish politician fought more than I did against it— on the floor of Parlisment, in public meetings, and in the press...
...But in the Baltic States there can lie no question of such a development...
...American Communists do not limit themselves to domestic politics, but stick their noses into the affairs of sll other countries...
...Whatever the freety taken decision may be—to both the Baltic and Russian democracies it will be preferable to the existing situation, for the Soviet Union's claims to the Baltic States are based upon the events of 1940, to which neither the Haiti...
...Since the end of the monarchy, no one has opposed the restoration more consistently than I, in numerous speeches and published articles...
...In principle, the Soviet Government cannot object to this course, for the Soviet constitution explicitly states that "to every Union Republic is reserved the right freely to secede from the U.S.S.R...
...in open and flagrant vitlatJen ef the will of the three peoples which hsd t knap clearly expressed In the elections, despite Com-' Sn>hW twessure...
...The editors of the Daily Worker.call me a monarchist...
...But sside from the fantastic quality of their accusations, the fact is that I am tagged as a monarchist...
...Here Prieto answers the slsnders and reaffirms his life-long stand for democracy and his opposition to monarrhism and communism...
...From the democratic viewpoint, there is only one course to be tsken, nemely, an appeal te the people as the bearer of natieual sovereignty, and the establishment of s new system ef government In accordance with the freely expressed will of the Latvian, Estonian and Lithuanian peoples...
...I don't know just what such maneuvers might he, nor do 1 quite understand how Don Juan could be restored to the throne by plots '¦hatched in New York...
...to designate delegates to meetings and conferences," etc...
...Art...
...This is the newest expression of the Communist "open srms" policy—they are ready to embrace anyone who can be useful to them—whether Mussolini, Bsdoglio, or Don Jusn—the same as they embraced Hitler from 1939 to 1941...
...The way back is barred...
...It works for the re-establishment of the democratic republic under the Constitution of 1931...
...they no longer arouse my emotion because of the frequency with which 1 have been insulted since the infancy of Communism., some twenty-odd years ago...
...But still the American Communists insist that I am a monarchist...
...The fact la that the state crgana were destroyed, though the nations continued te live...
...The Argentine Socialist Party also made this ap|ieal at my suggestion...
...to operate with all state funds, movable and immovable property...
...It is of no importance that the Communists accuse me of monarchist sympathies...
...I note that in spite of the "dissolution"- more or less—-of the Third International, the Communists continue operating as before on the entire international scene...
...fkjky jnhnensfad Iff the incorporation of the three Jk4he States into the U.S.S.R...
...1 have long since learned to regard such attacks as decorations...
...Yet such democratic defeatism is net warranted...
...From the point of view of the Soviet constitutional law, this would decide whether the three nations wish to secede from the USSR or' to remain within it...
...In Estonia, a trend in this direction manifested itself before the war, and in Spain such a change was being accomplished under Frimo de Rivera, rulminating in bis downfall...
...Under certain circumstances, a totalitarian 01 balf-tetaljtarian regime may be transformed into a democratic one by steady inner development...
...These "extraordinary powers" include the right "to defend to the best ability Latvia's interests in all countries except Estonia, Lithuania, Finland, Sweden, Germany and the U.S.S.R...
...Thus, the old system of government, as it existed in the Baltic 8tates prior to their soviet Lizat ion, dealt the death blow to itself...
...17) Whether the will of the Baltic peopes is expressed in a plebiscite or in elections to a Constituent Assembly, is in principle irrelevant...
...In various documents issued by leading Communist committees there is irrefutable proof of this, the latest of which is thefr "unity" manifesto calling on the monarchists to unite with the Stalinists, against Franco and* for the United Nations...
...What then should he the democratic method of breaking the Baltic deadlock...
...oppression—if this nation i not accorded the right to deride the form of ita existence aa a Stale without any pressure, through free vote, while the armed forces of the affiliating State or any stronger State are removed completely, then such affiliation is an annexation...
...The Communists frequently accuse others of political crimes which they are planning to commit themselves...
...IT is hard to take such absurdities seriously...
...It may seem that repudiating the Sovietixation of the Baltic Stales as an act of direct and crude violence, we gel into kepeles* difficulty...
...The situation is aggravated by the fart that no line of succession < sn possibly be established between the past of the Baltic States, prior to their Sovietizstion, and their future...
Vol. 27 • March 1944 • No. 13
