Paris Peace Conf. 861C.00/85a: Telegram
The Commission to Negotiate Peace to the Minister in Denmark (Hapgood)
[For Greene.] Your cables on Lithuania and report on Military Situation received. Major Keenan personally reported on situation in Latvia before Baltic Commission. On advice of this Commission, Council of Foreign Ministers on May 23 decided to send a Military Mission35 under a British Lieutenant or Major General with headquarters at Libau or Reval, for the purpose of advising the Governments of Esthonia, Latvia and Lithuania on questions of organization, equipment and training of local forces and volunteers who may be raised from external sources. Hoover directed to continue ravitaillement [Page 198] to all nonbolshevist areas in the Baltic region without respect to political control. Marshal Foch directed to require the German Government that it order Von der Goltz to facilitate the establishment of a coalition ministry in Latvia proportionate to the strength of the respective parties, that he rearm the disarmed Letts, that he permit mobilization and training of local forces, and hamper in no way the new Lettish government in the exercise of its functions. Conditions of Peace repeat provisions of Armistice regarding withdrawal of German troops from Baltic with stipulation that German authorities are not to interfere with measures of national defense adopted by provisional Governments of Latvia, Esthonia and Lithuania. Full text of these decisions follows.36 In view of probable tergiversations of German Government on Marshal Foch’s demands, and in view of fact that Baltic Commission now sitting and able to get action on its recommendations have you any further action to suggest from this end to obtain coalition government or otherwise ameliorate conditions in regions under your observations. Keep Ammission informed of developments in Latvia and Esthonia and especially situation at Riga. Send officer of observation if possible to report on campaign along southern shore Gulf Finland in direction Petrograd.
- See FM–19, minute 4, vol. iv, p. 752, and appendix C, ibid., p. 762.↩
- Telegram not found in Department files.↩