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Show LITHUANIA TO BE MADE PART OF THE GERMAN EMPIRE AMSTERDAM. May 1-1. Emperor William Wil-liam has issued a proclamation concerning concern-ing Lithuaniain which he says it is assumed as-sumed Lithuania will participate in the war burdens of Germany. In the proclamation procla-mation the "independence" of Lithuania, allied with the German empire, is recognized. recog-nized. "We assume that the conventions to be concluded," the proclamation says further, fur-ther, "will take the interests of tHe German Ger-man empire into account equally with those of Lithuania and that Lithuania will participate in the war burdens of Germany which secured her liberation." Lithuania is one of the former Russian Rus-sian border states which the Germans have attempted to set up as nominally independent in-dependent countries, under German influence. in-fluence. Germany is making every effort to exploit the states economically, but, except in the case of Poland, has not attempted at-tempted to force the former Russian subjects sub-jects to fight with the German army, as the emperor's announcement indicates may now be none in Lithuania. The attempt at-tempt to enroll a Polish army on the same plea that .Is now made in the case of Lithuania was a failure and the Polish legion was disbanded. The Vorwaerts of Berlin said recently that strong opposition was developing among the Lithuanians to transforming their country into a German "semi -federal" state. Entire independence is demanded. de-manded. The Lithuanians number about two million mil-lion and are found mainly in the former Russian governments of Kovno, Vilna, Grodno and Suwalki. |