The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1939. THE EASTERN FRONTIER.

Evening Star, Issue 23376, 20 September 1939, Page 8

The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1939. THE EASTERN FRONTIER.

No one would) bo foolish enough to make a prediction as to the course of events in the present war, except to declare his assurance that the Allies will triumph in the end, The unholy alliance between Nazi Germany and the Soviet has complicated matters since the invasion of Poland. It was stated yesterday in a radio from Eiga that the Eussians had occupied Vilna. This was preceded by a message from Kovno stating that no move by Lithuania was expected against Vilna. If there had been any such intention it would be rendered null by the Eussian occupation, which will be maintained in the meantime, at any rate. It is reported to-day that hope is expressed by the Lithuanians that Eussia will return Vilna to them. That seems to be a vain hope, for it will probably be found that the Soviet motto will be: “ What we have we hold.” Poland is out of action for all practical purposes, and it is indicated that /Eumania is not likely to assist her now, although the Eumanian-Polish alliance binds her to do so. Significantly, it is stated that the Polish leaders have not sought such help, realising that in the present circumstances it would bo a useless sacrifice, giving Eussia a pretext for action against Eumania. As things are at present it is better that that country should remain neutral, for Bessarabia offers a practical route for invasion by Soviet troops. After the Eussian revolution of 1917 the National Council of Bessarabia declared a Moldavian Democratic Eepublic, but later agreed to unconditional incorporation with Eumania. In the Treaty of Paris of 1920 the British Empire, France, Italy, and Japan recognised this incorporation, hut America stood out on the ground that there was no representative of the Eussian Government to state its side of thg case. Ever since then the Soviet has regarded Bessarabia as “ occupied territory.” On two occasions—in Genoa and in Vienna —attempts were made to reach a settlement, but without-avail. Thus the province has been in a state of military occupation, with Soviet pickets on the loft bank of the Dncister and Eumanian pickets on the right. An uneasy peace has been kept, for the Soviet maintains that the province is an integral part of the old Imperial territory now under Soviet rule. If self-determination still counts for anything, Eumania’s hold on Bessarabia is strengthened by the fact that the people themselves decided on the present association with the Government in Bucharest. It will thus be seen how exposed Eumania is to attack by Eussia, arid to a not very much smaller degree by Nazi 'Germany, with only Hungary lying between. Taking all the circumstances into consideration, Lithuania can do nothing about Vilna. The dispute Vith Poland over the city is ended by the latest turn of events, and Vilna at present is in the hands of its former masters, the Eussians, who took possession of it in 1795, after the partition of Poland. Vilna is a Polish city. Although it was the capital of the mediaeval duchy of Lithuania, 66 per cent, of the population are Poles and only 1 per cent, is Lithuanian. Since the fifteenth century Vilna has been a centre of Polish culture, so that the persistent Lithuanian claims to possession did not appear to have much validity.