July 23, The news that the Baltic States of Lithuania, Latvia and Esthonia have voted for union with Soviet Russia, will come as no surprise to those who have been watching developments in that part of the world since Germany, and Russia divided Poland between themselves. It will be remembered that this was speedily followed by Moscow's demands to be allowed to establish garrisons at strategic points in all three countries, demands which were subsequently increased, until there was nothing left for the inhabitants of those countries but to bow to the inevitable and accept incorporation within the Soviet State, 'The elections of last Sunday week in all' three countries, when extreme Left candidates were returned, foreshadowed Some such development as has occurred in the three countries concerned, and it was only a question of time when they would pass resolutions favouring inclusion in. the USS.R. and make formal application for the same. These applications will undoubtedly be granted by the Kremlin, which will thus sce its schemes with regard to obtaining command of the Baltic brought to full fruition, with Russia in control of the Baltig shore from the boundary of east Prussia up 10 Leningrad, and thence along the southern coast of Finland to the Aaland Islands which Russia, at any rate for the moment, wishes to have demilitarized. There will naturally bbe some anxious speculation as to what will happen to the large number of White Russian refugees who sought shelter in the Baltic countries at the time of the revolution and since, and especially the community in Ri fan important centre in Europe of Russians loyal to the old Imperiat regime. That they will be able to escape elsewhere, is in view of the European situation, highly improbable, ind what is likely to happen to them is ied with very considerable concern. followed the example of her two sister States, Russia accomplished he: ambi" tion and brought the doctrines of Commun to and all along the present eastern boundary of Germany.
With the final rounding off of designs along the Baltic coast, the Russian boundary will march with that'of Germany, through Polund into Bukovina along the river Pruth to the Black Sea along the banks of the Danube, When Bulgaria secures the retrocession of the Dobrudja from Rumania, which with Soviet support she should eventually be able to obtain, joint Bulgarian and Russian control of the western shores of the Black Sea It have practically been obtained. This it is apparently the intention of the Soviet 10 round out by obtaining from Turkey agreement for the joint control of the Dardanelles, in which event Russia would definitely become " Mediterranean Power. Already it is reported that Italy is showing some un= easiness over the stimulation of a new wave of Communism in the eastern Balkans from her new vantage ground in Bessarabia. It is interesting {0 note that coincident with the arrival of Count Ciano, Italian Foreign Minister, in Berlin, for further renewal of secret conferences, the controlled Mahan press hus started warning M, Stalin, that if he accepts conciliation and co-opera tion Russia's fate will be the same as Poland's, This open suspicion on the part of the Italian press of Russian war time forwardness is all the more important when it is remembered that both Italian and German press comment upon it has up to the present been most guarded, and the deduction is to be drawn that Russian actions are bringing about a development in the Slay situation which Signor Mussolini may. ¢o1 dangerous. The Italians are naturally more sensitive than the Germane because the questions involved
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