BALTIC STATES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 September 1939, Page 5

BALTIC STATES

FEARS OF ACTION FOLLOWING ON ESCAPE 1 OF SUBMARINE. REPORTED SOVIET CHARGES. By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright. NEW YORK, September 20. The Helsinki correspondent of the "New York Times” says it is widely feared that the events in. Poland will, have serious repercussions in the Baltic region and that the position of Latvia and Estonia may be menaced in the near future. Many foreign residents of Latvia are already preparing to leave ' It appears probable that the incident of lhe escape from Tallinn of the Polish submarine, which attracted the indignant attention of Germany and Russia, may bo exploited for lhe purpose of strengthening their naval control in the North Baltip on the pretext that the small States are failing in strict neutrality. Authoritative Russian circles have already charged Estonia “with official nonchalance.” Estonia fears that Russia will enforce her threat to subject neutral shipping in the Baltic to the strictest surveillance. Reports that several units of the Soviet navy have been seen off Tallinn have alarmed the Estonian Government. No vessel is permitted to leave Estonian poits. Finnish coastguards sighted four Soviet destroyers steaming westward. There is increasing uneasiness over the fate' of Latvia and Estonia. Soviet troops and artillery are moving on the Finnish frontier. A message from Tallinn yesterday stated that reports that Russia had blockaded the coast of Estonia were denounced as untrue. > NAVAL SEARCH FOR MISSING SUBMARINE. VIGOROUS SOVIET ACTION REPORTED. (Received This Day, 9.25 a.m.) COPENHAGEN, September 21. The Stockholm correspondent of the “Berlingske Tidende” reports that three Russian battleships, six cruisers, fifty submarines and numerous aircraft have left the naval base of Kronstadt, ostensibly to search for the Polish submarine' Orzel, which is reported, to be provisioned for three months. ESTONIANS RELEASED. OFF COAST OF SWEDEN. (Received This Day, 10.5 a.m.) STOCKHOLM, September 21.. Two Estonians, namely a petty officer and an A. 8., who were aboard die Polish submarine Orzel when she escaped from Tallinn appeared off the coast of Gotland in a small yawl. They explained they had been kept aboard the submarine until yesterday, when they were released and drifted to just outside Swedish waters.