Lithuania

Of the unoccupied territory 17% is under forest, mainly pine, oak, fir, birch, maple and lime. Much is used for fuel, since no coal is worked, though coal and oil shale beds are reported. There is a danger of seriously depleting the forest in view of the war de , struction of forests and of the use of timber as fuel, and for the down a provisional eastern frontier for Poland (the so-called "Curzon" line), which assigned to Poland most territories where the Polish element was in the majority, but excluded mixed and doubtful districts, the principal among which was Vilnius (or Vilna or. Wilno) city and province. The Lithuanian Government had removed from Vilnius to Kaunas (Kovno) on the approach of the Bolshevist army in Jan. 1919, and the Poles captured Vilnius from the Bolshevists in April of that year.

During the retreat of the Poles after their unsuccessful inva sion of the Ukraine, the Lithuanians re-occupied Vilnius, but Republic is commander-in-chief of the army in peace; on recom mendation by the cabinet he can depute his powers to a general officer in war. There is a ministry of defence, with the usual de partments, and three military area commands (Mariampole, Kaunas and Panevezys), with one division in each.

There is a military air force containing 6 flights, a training school and a transport battalion, with 5 fighting, 20 recon naissance, and 6 machines for training.

See also League of Nations Armaments (Geneva 1928).

The economic organization of Lithuania as a sovereign State may be considered as beginning after the treaty of July 12, 192o, with Russia ; but progress was hampered by the protracted dis putes over Memel (q.v.) and Vilna (q.v.).

Agriculture.

The estimated distribution of Lithuanian terri tory is as follows :— manufacture of wood-pulp, paper, railway-sleepers, furniture, etc. Efforts are being made to introduce peat as a fuel, of which there are vast supplies, and to introduce legislation to regulate forest cutting and planting.

Industries.

Manufactures were seriously hampered by war destruction, when hundreds of factories were razed. Capital to re place them is difficult to obtain. The chief industries are food and

beverage production, the working up of hides, bones and animal by-products, wood-working, clay and chemical production. The tanneries at Siauliai (Shavli) were formerly the largest in the world, and are now beginning to recover. The iron industry of Kaunas is also noted. The peasants are skilled in handicrafts, especially weaving, and attempts are being made to introduce the working up of flax fibre to replace export of the raw material. Amber is obtained from the "blue earth" layers of the Tertiary deposits near the Baltic and is worked into small wares. There are sulphur springs at Birstonas and brine baths at Druskenikai, where radium is found. Most of the trade is with Germany. Ex ports include timber, peat, flax seed and tow, eggs and chickens, pig bristles, hides and live stock; imports are textiles, metal goods, sugar, herrings, salt, tobacco. The capital pro tern. is Kaunas (Kovno), pop. Klaipeda (Memel, pop. 38,545) is a port under special regime (see above). Vilna in 1931), Grodno (49,818) and Suwalki are occupied by Poland.

Railways are inadequate as rolling stock was much diminished during the war. The Nemunas, the chief artery of communication, is navigable for 270 days in the year. Road communication is poor in many parts. Lithuania is an independent democratic re public. The Diet (Seimas) is elected by universal, equal, direct and secret vote, one representative for 50,000 inhabitants. The president is elected by the Diet, and the executive power is in the hands of the president and the cabinet of ministers, chosen by the premier appointed by the president, who also appoints the higher military and civil officials. National minorities, Jews, White Russians and Poles are granted cultural autonomy. The official language is Lithuanian, a branch of the Aestian or Baltic tongue, closely related to Lettish and old Prussian and belonging to the Aryan group. A university was opened at Kaunas in 1922, and there were 93 secondary and 2,020 primary schools in 1924. (See also LITHUANIANS AND LETTS.)