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At the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union, ethnic Latvians were only 52 percent of the total population of Latvia, and official use of the Latvian language had greatly diminished while Russian had become the dominant language. It took 15 years to develop the legal instruments necessary for stabilizing the official status of the Latvian language while complying with internationally accepted human rights norms. The law in its current form is clear and functional, although there are certain difficulties in implementation. Not all of those who are required to know Latvian at the necessary level are in compliance. This report presents information on: (1) "Education Law"; (2) "Law on Citizenship"; and (3) "Incorporating the Concept of Integration into the State Administration System." The paper notes that although the law helps establish the official position on language, in a democratic society, all people can converse in private as they wish. There is no threat from the Latvian government regarding the assimilation or "Latvianization" of ethnic minorities. (SM)

1Boy Crusoe

By Allan Eric

Also published as" A Yankee Crusoe" . A 15 year old hard working and studious farm boy finds the lure of adventure on the seas as a merchant seaman more than he can resist. This is his story. " I was born in a little town in the State of Maine, near the close of the Civil War. My boyhood life did not differ materially from that of the average farmer's son in the remote country districts of New England--except, perhaps, that I read more and thought more. Hard work on the rugged soil, two terms each year in the little yellow country schoolhouse, a day's fishing now and then filled the early years of my life full to over-flowing. " What he gets is enough excitement and adventure to overflow his wildest dreams. How he experiences disaster and uses his wits and knowledge to overcome every problem makes for a great read. - Summary by Phil Chenevert