File No. 861.01/20
The American Esthonian League to the Secretary of State
Sir: We take the liberty to bring to your attention the fact that a firm democratic form of government has been established in Esthonia, which has nothing whatever common with the Bolshevist regime of Lenin in Petrograd or elsewhere in Russia, which is practically the first step in so far after the Russian revolution that marks the beginning of a real stable republican movement, free of any intrigues and extreme tendencies of any kind. An Esthonian National Council elected by universal suffrage in all districts of the Esthonian population in the provinces of Esthonia and Livonia met on the 14th of July in Revel and elected an executive government, consisting of a Prime and eight Cabinet Ministers. Mr. Konstantin Pats, the former mayor of Revel and the editor of Teataja, was elected Prime Minister. He and the rest of the Cabinet Ministers are well-known public men of Esthonia, of outspoken democratic tendencies and men who held no office under the old monarchic régime of Russia.
Basing on the principle of self-determination of nations, recognized by President Wilson and the Allied powers, the Esthonian National Council met on the 28th of November and decided the following:
- (1)
- To determine the future form of government and to create a democratic power of Esthonia, as well as to decide all ulterior questions, and has found necessary to call together an Esthonian Constituent Assembly.
- (2)
- The Esthonian National Council proclaims itself the supreme power in Esthonia until the meeting of the Constituent Assembly; this assembly will be elected by universal suffrage, and after being [Page 853] [having] determined a form of government, it will definitely form the legislative and administrative powers.
- (3)
- During the interruption of its sessions, the National Council accords to its executive committee as well to the government of the country and the Committee of County Delegates (Walla Wanemad) the right of taking all the administrative power of the public institutions of the country in its hands.
- (4)
- The National Council declared Esthonia an independent democratic republic until a stable government or a republican form of government will be established in Russia, and an All-Russian Constituent Assembly will decide the future of the federal states of Russia.
On basis of this declaration by all the duly elected representatives of the Esthonian people, the Esthonian Government has taken all the political affairs of the country, all the public institutions, railways, courts, banks, schools, police, and the army under the supreme control of the National Assembly and the Cabinet, and in consequence of that the life in this newly established provisional republic is absolutely normal and will remain as the first example for the establishment of a republic by the people and for the people in Russia.
The Esthonian Republican Government sent its special envoys to England, France, and the Scandinavian countries. The Esthonian Envoy to Great Britain is Professor A. Piip who was received by Arthur James Balfour, the British Foreign Secretary, on May 3 as an informal diplomatic representative of the Esthonian Government. Mr. Balfour in his letter of that date pointed out to Mr. Piip the fact that the final recognition of the Esthonian Republic will take place on the future peace conference and that the British Government on that occasion will do their utmost to secure that the above principle is applied to Esthonia.
The Esthonian Government has, however, not been able to send their envoy yet to this country, but our league and the diplomatic agent of the same stand in communication with Mr. Piip in London who has requested and authorized us to appeal to the United States people and Government for contributions to the ill-treated population of Esthonia by the Germans and the Bolshevist looters. We like to send a member of this league as a delegate to the peace conference in France and ask you kindly to grant us the privilege as you have done so with other less organized nations in Russia and Austria. We also request you to give your full support to the democratic Esthonian Government for this is the first bright start [star] of free and democratic Russia and kindly advise us how we can best serve the United States in this mission.
We have [etc.]