Foreign Relations of the United States, The Soviet Union, 1933–1939

740.00/836: Telegram

The Chargé in Latvia (Packer) to the Secretary of State

Riga, April 16, 1939—noon.
[Received April 16—9:45 a.m.]

29. Legation’s 25, April 8, 5 p.m., and 27, April 11, 11 a.m.^77a Minister of Foreign Affairs⁷⁸ informed me last night that on March 27 Litvinov saw separately the Estonian and the Latvian Ministers in Moscow⁷⁹ and informed them orally to the following effect: Soviet Union had been glad by treaty of peace to recognize Latvian [and] Estonian independence⁸⁰ and also to enter into special proticol⁸¹ putting into effect the Kellogg-Briand Pact.⁸² It was unwilling to see that independence reduced or infringed upon and it could not remain inactive if any attempt were made in that direction.

After a consultation between Estonian and Latvian Governments, Latvian Minister in Moscow had replied orally on April 7th that Latvian Government was gratified at Soviet expression of interest in maintenance of Latvian independence and it was prepared with all its forces to resist any attempt whatever to impair it. Estonian reply was practically identical.

In reply to my inquiry whether “remain inactive” meant use of troops, Munters stated Soviet attitude had not been defined with more precision than he had stated.

He stated further that premature publicity concerning the Soviet détente [démarche] had leaked out in Estonia and that Latvian Government might issue communiqué shortly; also that other stories concerning Soviet statement, in particular one alleging offer Soviet assistance, were incorrect.

In reply to my inquiry he denied that any German demands had been made on Latvia. Moscow and Tallinn informed.

Packer

1. Neither printed.
78. Vilhelms Munters.
79. August Rei and Fricis Kocins, respectively.
80. Treaty with Latvia signed at Riga, August 11, 1920; for text see League of Nations Treaty Series, vol. ii, p. 195. Treaty with Estonia signed at Dorpat (Tartu, Yuryev), February 2, 1920; for text, see ibid., vol. xi, p. 29.
81. Protocol for the Immediate Entry into Force of the Treaty of Paris (Kellogg-Briand Pact) of August 27, 1928, signed by Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Rumania, and the Soviet Union at Moscow, February 9, 1929; for text, see ibid., vol. lxxxix, p. 369.
82. Foreign Relations, 1928, vol. i, p. 153.