861.00/5473: Telegram
The Ambassador in Sweden (Morris) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received October 26, 8:04 a.m.]
4162. The status of the proposed peace negotiations between the Baltic States, Finland and Soviet Russia briefly summarized is as follows, according to the most reliable information I have been able to obtain: Negotiations between Esthonia and Soviet Russia took place at Pskov September 17th. The Esthonian delegation demanded postponement of negotiations until position of Latvia, Lithuania and Finland in this question have been found out. Esthonia not wanting to take separate measures, its delegation returned to Reval on September 19th. On September 29th at the Dorpat Conference Latvia, Lithuania, Esthonia and Finland decided to put on trial the sincerity of the Bolshevik peace offer by putting forth of certain conditions, the acceptance of which by the Bolsheviks would guarantee a lasting armistice and guard the countries in question from Bolshevik propaganda. The Dorpat conference accepted, directing provisional recognition for these conditions after the acceptance of which by the Bolsheviks negotiations might be begun. In order to work out in detail the modus operandi of negotiations a conference of specialists of the four Entente Cordiale countries was projected to be held in Riga on October 15th, the decisions of which after the ratification by the respective parliaments were to be sent to the Bolsheviks. The Council of Ministers of Latvia ratified the agreement concluded by the four Entente Cordiale [Page 733] countries at the Dorpat conference. The further development of the peace problem has been checked by the German-Russian monarchistic attacks on Latvia in Courland and by the advance of the Northwestern Army on Petrograd. The above has been confirmed also by the Esthonian Legation. American Mission’s 463.