THESE NOT YET UNITED STATES

Hokitika Guardian, 9 December 1920, Page 3

THESE NOT YET UNITED STATES

RIGA, Oct. 6. “The trouble is,” said the plump merchant, “that we are too small and top disunited to get u fair start in life.” By “wo” lie meant that strange network of now little States which has come into existence as a result of the war—Leitland, Lithuania, White Russia, Estlnnd—while Poland squabbles with Lithuania and strenuously fights Bolshevism and the fate of big rich Ukraine is till unsettled. Wo leaned against a fence in the middle of Lettland. A delightful, sunny, pastoral country aching for cultivation. A few black and white cattlo, a few geese and ducks, patches of potatoes . . . every prospect favourable and—nothing doing! The great landed proprietors have gone and peasants are living squalidly in corners of substantial manors, incapable of initiative: Yet there are many fine groups of farm buildings and good cottages. My Lett companion continued: “We could do a great deal for export, especially in beet sugar. But wo want implements, machinery, cattle; we want the State to lend on mortgage, to breed draught horses, to help us to get phosphates, but it has no resources. Our young men are getting disheartened. Everything is stagnant. We can’t get a start.” It certainly seems as if these little new States, ’ just thrust into. independent existence, are heavily handicapped -at present just by their smallness'. They are frightened of Bolshevism. They are desperately poor. They cannot compete in big markets and they are apprehensive of going under. I motored through the suburbs of this once busy port of Riga. Acres upon acres of factories and scarcely one at work! The emptin.’ss of the luscious countryside was '.-quailed by the industrial desolation. Yet these are pleasant, hard-working little nations. After peace, the cardinal condition, they need dose commercial union. They must get big-to get on. Industrially they must become united States. They should have a common money unit and a common hanking policy. They should centralise fisheries and agriculture as far as possible and should club together to put through the necessary technical repairs to their fine and once thronged harlmtirs. They must drop local jealousies. This is the programme of many able men in these not yet united States. It seems to offer them at least a e-iance to take part before long in world trade That would lie good for everybody.