RUSSIA AGAIN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 July 1940, Page 3

RUSSIA AGAIN

RECENT ANNEXATIONS

HISTORY OF BESSARABIA

NG CLAIM ON BUKOVINA

The Russian coup in regard to Bessarabia is the latest development in the long and tangled history of that province and raises an issue which was for years considered likely to disturb the peace of Europe. The policy of the U.S.S.R. towards the Bessarabian question (.slates a writer in the "Evening Post") has been singularly simple. For. many years it considered that the province was Russian territory and temporarily in the hands of a usurping State. A CHANGE OF HEART. After 1937 it abandoned the stand in return for a treaty of amity and mutual assistance with Rumania. Then, with the frank reversion to power politics, the partition of Poland, the ultimatums to the Baltic States and the invasion of Finland, the Bessarabian issue again appeared in the Russian press as a burning question and crying for settlement. The Russian maps which up to 1937 had been showing Bessarabia as part of Russia again appeared. The present development therefore was to be expected. It is difficult to sketch the history of Bessarabia in brief compass and more difficult to arrive at the whole truth. The province which has an area of 17 000 square miles and a population of more than 3.000.000, represents approximately one-seventh of the area and one-sixth of the population of Rumania. It was long a disputed land between Russians and Turks and was definitely annexed by Russia in 1812, also a fateful year for Europe. CEDED AND REGAINED. After the Crimean War some of this territory was ceded to Rumania, then in 1877 it was taken back abain in exchange for the Dobrudja. and became slowly Russified and more or less satisfied with its fate. The Russian population remained small, however, and was almost confined to those landed classes which the Communists abhor. The fluid state of Europe after the Russian Revolution in 1917 caused leading Bessarabians to declare in favour of autonomy and a National Council was formed. But the collapse of the Russian Army and the wave of terrorism which followed frightened the Bessarabians., and they appealed to Rumania for military protection. This was given, but only on condition that the province should ultimately be united with Rumania. THE MOLDAVIAN REPUBLIC. In January, 1918, as a first step, an “Independent Moldavian Republic was p reclaimed, and all connection with Russia was ended. In the following November the National Council held its last session, and decided that Bessarabia should, unconditionally and voluntarily, be united with Rumania. Elections ' took place in 1919. and Bessarabian representatives were sent for the first time to the National Assembly at Bucharest. The union of the province with Rumania was not recognised by the Allied Powers until March. 1920. and a few months later a treaty was signed by Britain. France. Italy. Rumanian and Japan, giving concrete form to that recognition. Japan did not ratify the treaty, however, and the U.S.S.R. did not recognise the union of the province with Rumania maintaining that Bessarabia formed part of the old Czarist territories under Soviet. rule. The United States also refused to sign the first agreement of recognition, on the ground that there was no Russian Government present to state the Russian case.

CONSTANT FRICTION. This was the situation from 1920 to 1935. There was constant friction on the border, the Russians closed the rivers up which Bessarabian trade used to pass, pickets exchanged shots, and there was the general conviction that the Soviet would act at a favourable time. Then the rise of Hi tier placed a new aspect on things; in 1935 Russia included Rumania in its network of non-aggression pacts (most of which have now been dishonoured), and on March 30. 1937. the U.S.S.R. sent a Note to Bucharest in which Bessarabia was recognised as Rumanian territory. Since the beginning of the present war and the realisation of the aggiessive line followed by the Russians. Rumania has been strengthening her defences in Bessarabia, but the system has been incomplete and not very closely connected. About four Rumanian divisions have been posted on the border since early this year.

NOT VERY WEALTHY. The province has not great wealth, though it is good, productive land but it is valued greatly for strategic reasons. Grain is its chief product, and its biggest industry is flour-null-ing. Almost nine people out of ten in the population are peasants. _ Whatever the Russian claims to; Bessarabia (they have been main y based on the fact that no plebiscite was held before the country was incorporated in Rumania) there are none to Bukovina. This small province though it lias been inhabited foi centuries by the Ruthenes. has not been occupied by Russia for 170 years and even then was bold only. lor five years. It was held by Austria. lul ’ ke y and Austria again, and in the old Dual Empire it made much progress and many Germans settled there. It was once considered a model lor the res. of Austria because of the harmony between its minorities.

governor hands over. After the collapse of the AustroHungarian Empire the last Governor handed over the province io a committee of Ruthenes. and a lew days later union with Rumania was voted: The Assembly appealed to the Rumanian Government at Jassy lor Rumanian troops and these entered on November 11 1918. Bukovina has a population of about 900 060 and an area of 4000 square miles The people are Rumanians, with Gorman and Polish minorities. The density of population is greater than in any other part of Rumania.