740.0011 Mutual Guarantee (Eastern Locarno)/16: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Bullitt) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 20—8:45 p.m.]
206. Supplementing my 204, information I have received confidentially from the Lithuanian Legation indicates that contrary to Litvinov’s remarks Soviet diplomacy has been most active with regard to the Baltic states in general and Lithuania in particular. To save the situation produced by the recent German economic reprisals against Lithuania the Soviet Government concluded a contract for the purchase of one million gold rubles of slaughtered and live pork within a period of 2 months and has shown other signs of active friendliness.
The Lithuanian Minister for Foreign Affairs25 arrives in Moscow on August 1st. His visit is specifically for the purpose of signing the protocol prolonging the pact of nonaggression26 but the Lithuanian Legation states that the Soviet Government will take advantage of his visit and that of the Estonian Foreign Minister27 on July 28 to settle the participation of the Baltic states in the Eastern Locarno. The Lithuanian Legation believes that it will be possible to find a formula whereby Lithuania might adhere to the Eastern Locarno without prejudice to her position in respect of Vilna.
From a number of reliable Soviet sources I gather that the chief worry of the Soviet Government is with regard to the adhesion of Poland. It is generally believed here that it will be difficult to overcome Pilsudski’s opposition as he is supposed to cherish a dream that a Japanese-Soviet conflict may give Poland an historic opportunity to rush to the rescue of the victor.