Estonia and Latvia were forcibly and cruelly incorporated into the Soviet Union. The peoples of the Baltic States have resisted the efforts of the Soviet Union to impose a foreign way of life and prevent the continued practice of traditional Baltic customs. Those who resisted these efforts were subjected to exile. deportation. Imprisonment and even execution. When they found difficulty In Imposing dictatorial rule on these ancient peoples. the Soviets made plans to transplant all the people of the Baltic States to Russia. The fact that these plans were not carried out is surely due in part to the resistance of the Baltic peoples. The Russian answer to Baltic opposition was deportation. The outrages which I would like to commemorate today reached their peaks on June 14. 15. 16. and 17. 1941. During these few days thousands of Lithuanians. Latvians. and Estonians were expelled from their homelands under the most primitive conditions. As we Join In commemoratihg the mass deportations from the Baltic States in Jure 1941. we reaffirm our dedication to the cause of freedom for the Baltic peoples. San Franciscos Irving M. Kriegsfeld Sets Precedent for National Service Corps
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deportations deportation