Baltic Peace

Since 1920 the city of Vilna hard by birthplace of the late great Dictator of Poland, Marshal Joseph Pilsudski, has in fact been part of Poland. However, Article I of the constitution of Lithuania has continued to declare that the capital of Lithuania is Vilna.

Last week, the example of Germany fortnight ago in bringing within the Reich the whole of Austria without bloodshed (TIME, March 21) appeared to be irresistibly attractive to the Polish Government. Polish Marshal Smigly-Rydz showed up in Vilna and marshaled over 50,000 Polish troops along the frontier of Lithuania, which has an army of some 22,000. When the sabre had been thoroughly rattled, Polish President Ignacy Moscicki and Foreign Minister Josef Beck, just back in Warsaw after conferring in Rome with II Duce, dispatched to President Antanas Smetona of Lithuania demands asking nothing more than that the "state of war'' which has existed between Poland and Lithuania for nearly 18 years give way to peace, that the closed and barbed-wire-strung frontier between the two countries be opened, that they resume diplomatic relations, that railway, mail and telegraph connections between them be reestablished.

Meanwhile, not quite getting the point, excitable Polish crowds milled in Warsaw, screaming for the occupation of Lithuania by Polish forces, and it appeared that an "ultimatum" time limit of some sort had been attached to the Polish demands on Lithuania, although if there had been a definite limit events showed that it was later extended. Amid a world-wide eruption of ill-considered headlines it was suggested that Soviet Russia might give Lithuania armed aid against Poland, but a glance at the geographical situation showed that the Red Army could not reach Lithuania without first invading Poland or Latvia. In less than 48 hours the Lithuanian Government, through their Minister at Tallin, Estonia, handed to the Polish Minister at Tallin a sheaf of promises to resume friendly relations and intercourse with Poland by rail, mail, telegraph, etc.

Had all this not been couched in the heated terms of an "ultimatum" by Poland and "yielding" by Lithuania, it would have appeared what it obviously was: a thawing out last week of a spat between two countries which has been permitted to remain frozen for nearly 18 years.

A deal has long been mooted whereby Poland may obtain an outlet to the sea at Memel, and give up to Germany her present corridor to the sea which divides East Prussia from the Reich. Rumors that the German Navy was steaming out last week to seize Memel quietly evaporated.

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