Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 53, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 March 1918 — LITHUANIA [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

LITHUANIA

LITHUANIA, which has declared Its Independence of Russia, has a history that for hundreds of years was intertwined with that of Poland, with which it long maintained a loose sort of union. At the time of the dismemberment of Poland it went for the most part to Russia. Lithuania now comprises the Russian “governments” of Kovno, Vilna, Grodno, Vitebsk, Minsk, Mogilev, and Suwalki (the last a part of Russian Poland.) This territory is almost entirely occupied just now by the Germans, who swetft over it in their campaign of 1915 against the Russians. In the heydey of the Lithuanians the dominions of their princes extended, however, far beyond the limits of today, reaching even the shores of the Black sea, and embracing districts now included in Ukraine, Poland, apd other parts of Russia. A most interesting point about the claims of those who have brought about the Lithuanian declaration of independence is that, in their extreme form, they contemplate not only the separation of Lithuania from Russia but also the incorporation into the new state of German territory which centuries ago formed part of Lithuania. This district Includes the important city of Koenlgsberg, in what is now East Prussia, as well as Tilsit and other towns. If this district should form part of the new Lithuania, apd if an independent Poland should have free access to the sea after the war through the seaport of Danzig, formerly Polish and now German, there would be a small wedge of German territory, isolated from the rest of the empire, between Polish Danzig and Lithuanian Koenlgsberg. The Lithuanians re-en-force their claims to Koenigsberg and other cities now under German or Russian rule by pointing to the fact that they have names for them in the Lithuanian language which the cities bore in the old days before they were seized by Teutons or Slavs. Once a Great Principality.

The Lithuanian nation in the fourth century of our era was living along the coast of the Baltic sea between Riga and Koenigsberg. From the tenth to the sixteenth century the Lithuanian principality extended from the Baltic to the Black sea. In that territory were White Russians and Ukrainians or Little Russians. White Russians are mostly of Lithuanian stock. Whoever goes from Lithuania to White Russia soon notices that the same types, customs and festivities exist there. The* language of White Russia is 25 per cent Lithuanian, and the attitude of the people toward the Lithuanians is very friendly. The Lithuanians are Indo-Aryans, fair-, light-haired, blue-eyed, tall, and strong. They are in no way related to the Slav or Teuton. They are said to have crossed from Asia to Europe about 2,000 B. C. They settled along the Black sea, near the mouth of the Danube. Gradually they were driven by other races until they came to the shores of the Baltic, where they finally settled. Here Lithuanians grew and prospered. They were peaceful folk, never fighting unless attacked, busy with agricultural pursuits, and a few with hunting and fishing. As a nation they were prevented from going into manufacturing or into commerce by physical surroundings, but some of the more venturesome made trips to Roman territory with cargoes of amber and various products ot their country. The language of the Lithuanians has been preserved to this day. Some even say that it is the oldest language in use. It closely resembles the Sanskrit and, in many cases of research work, is the key to it. • ° Beat Germans and Mongols. 'The Lithuanians lived in clans until the thirteenth century, when, because of national danger, they banded together. They chose Rlngaudas as the first grand duke of Lithuania, and he soon

collected a large army. He defeated the Germans and stopped the western advance of the Mongolians. He likewise defeated the Russians and increased the territory of Lithuania considerably. Mindaugis, the next grand duke, a capable organizer and administrator, continued the work successfully. Gedeminas, a shrewd diplomat, as is shown in his correspondence with'the popes of Rome and the Teutonic order, was the next grand duke of note. He established the grand duchy of Lithuania on a firm basis, vanquished the Russians, Teutons, and especially the Tartars, and so helped save Europe from the greatest disaster that could have befallen it—lnvasion and occupation by Mongolians. At this time Lithuania extended from the Baltic sea to the Black sea. After the death of Gedemlnas, his two sons, Algirdas and Keistutis,, reigned, and waged Battles with Teutons and Slavs. In 1569 a sort of dual Polish-Lithua-nian government was adopted. Even then, Lithuania kept its Independence. In the three partitions of Poland the major part of Lithuania was annexed by Russia and the smaller by Germany. Thus Lithuania was removed from the map of the world. The people were forbidden to use the Lithuanian language, and the possession of any Lithuanian books, even prayer books, was considered a political crime, and schools teaching Lithuanian were closed. The Russian government prohibited the use of any type in print but the Russian. The people "as a result, smuggled In books and newspapers printed in Latin type, from Germany. Eventually the Imperial order was revoked and the use of Latin type re-established. From that time on Lithuanian literature has flourished, many newspapers having been published and many books printed There are probably about 7,500,000 persons of genuine Lithuanian stock. In addition to these, the Lithuanian state would Include 1,500,000 Poles, Jews, Russians, and Germans, making a total of 9,000,000 for Lithuania proper/’ If Lettland should be united with Lithuania it would add 2,500,000 Letts, making a grand total population of 11,500,000 for the new nation.

Koenigsberg, Prussia, Claimed by the New Lithuania.