File No. 861.01/21

The Minister in Sweden (Morris) to the Secretary of State

[Telegram]

3260. The Esthonian Committee composed of Eduard Laamann, Ferdinand Kull, and Joseph Goldarbeiter, of whom I cabled you previously, has arrived in Stockholm and waited upon me to-day.

Mr. Goldarbeiter gave me the following information regarding Esthonia:

1.
The present authority is vested in a Diet elected on March 30, 1917, by popular vote of the people of all Esthonia. This Diet has elected the present government which after the commencement of evacuation by the Germans is taking over from the German military authorities the government of Esthonia.
2.
This Diet represents the Esthonian people only and is composed of 5 Bolsheviks, 24 socialists of various complexion, and 31 with inclinations to the right.
3.
Present government stands for absolute independence of Esthonia as regards Russia but is prepared to accede preferential rights to Russia for use of Esthonian ports for purposes of import and export. Only as an alternative are they ready to join other parts of Russia in a federation of states or republics fearing that after such a union should reaction set in in Russia they would be likely to lose what independence they had gained.

Esthonians view with alarm withdrawal of Germans and go so far as to state that if Allies do not immediately send individual ships to available ports of the Baltic Sea Bolsheviks will be able in a very short time to overrun the whole of Esthonia.

Also cabled Paris.

Morris