File No. 861.00/1851
Mr. Piip called to see me at
the Embassy yesterday but I did not receive him, directing the
Counselor of the Embassy to see him in my stead, and he then left
these papers with the request that they be transmitted to you.
[Enclosure 1]
The Esthonian
Delegation to the American Ambassador in Great
Britain (
Page
)
Sir: In January last and February the
representatives of the Esthonian people have visited the
Ambassador of the United States of America in Petrograd, and
expressed the national desire of Esthonia for independence,
pronounced by the democratic Esthonian Diet, or National
Council, and confirmed in January by the authorized United
Assembly of the Presidency of Council, the Committee of Ancients
and Country Government. It was declared that Esthonia should be
also a perpetual neutral state, and a free country for
international trade.
At the same time, the whole of the Esthonian people protested
against the occupation of the country by Germans.
In consequence of recent events in Esthonia, the most important
of which is the invasion of the country by German troops, we,
being authorized, have the honor to make this declaration and to
beg you to transmit it to your Government, the answer to be
transmitted to the plenipotentiary representative of the
Esthonian provisional government in London, Professor Antonius Piip.
Contrary to the will of the Esthonian people and its
representative organs, the Esthonian German nobility decided on
the 28th of January 1918 to make an appeal to the German
Government to occupy the country with German troops. Against
such an appeal the authorized representative of the provisional
government of Esthonia in Stockholm has made, on the 4th of
February 1918, a protest to the German Government.
However, after the resumption of hostilities on the part of
Germany against Russia, the German troops have crossed the Moon
Sound and occupied Verder, Leal, etc. The German motive in
occupying the country was to combat the anarchy of the
free-handed actions of the Bolsheviks, who declared all the
Esthonian nobility to be outlaws.
Nevertheless, the Esthonian provisional government had succeeded
in overthrowing the domination of the Bolsheviks, and in
establishing legal order with the help of loyal Esthonian troops
before the German invasion.
On the 24th of February, the last representatives of the
Bolshevik government left the country, going on Russian warships
to Helsingfors. Immediately afterwards the new government of the
independent democratic republic of Esthonia was finally formed
in the following manner:
Prime Minister, Minister of Internal Affairs and Trade, member of
the Esthonian Diet, Konstantin Pats; his
assistant; Minister of Justice, member of the Diet,
Jüri Wilms; Minister of Foreign
Affairs, member of the Russian Constituent Assembly from
Esthonia, Jaan Poska; War Minister,
Commander in Chief of Esthonian troops, Colonel of General
Staff, M. Laidoner; Minister of Finance and
Domains of the State, member of the Diet, Johan
Kukk; Minister of Agriculture, member of the
Diet, Jaan Raamot; Minister of Ways and
Communications, Ferdinand Petersen;
Minister of Labor and Charitable Board, member of the Diet,
Willem Maasik; Minister of Education,
member of the Diet, Peter Pold.
The authorized Provisional Government of Esthonia has
reestablished the order in the country. All the confiscations
and requisitions made by the Bolsheviks have been declared null
and void. All the property has been returned to its former
proprietors.
The Germans, however, continued their advance, and soon
afterwards occupied the whole country.
[Page 828]
According to information to hand, the situation in Esthonia at
present is as follows:
The government is deprived of its power de
facto; the Esthonian troops are disarmed; the town
democratic self-governments, elected and established in 1917,
are dismissed; in Revel a German was appointed mayor of the
town; with him a committee composed of eighteen Germans was also
appointed; Esthonians refused to participate in this committee;
in Dorpat a German merchant was also appointed the mayor of the
town; in the villages, all the district committees established
on the basis of the common electoral laws are dismissed and, in
their place, self-governing censuses of 1914 were appointed.
Under such conditions, the formation of an Esthonian Constituent
Assembly is practically impossible, and more so since the
process of elections could not be completed before the German
invasion. The formation of a Constituent Assembly can only be
possible and expedient when the German troops have completely
left the country.
It is necessary, however, to note that the elections to the
Esthonian Constituent Assembly were de
facto at the same time a referendum on the independence
of Esthonia. Seventy per cent voted for the absolute
independence of Esthonia, the rest for autonomy, but as a part
of the Russian federation. Thus it is evident that the
democratic will expressed by the people goes to show that
independence is needed for Esthonia. At the present time, while
the German troops are in the country, the only recognized and
lawful government of Esthonia is the Esthonian Diet, and the
provisional government authorized by this Diet of which we are
the representatives.
We know that German nobility Landtags of Estland and Livland will
speak on behalf of the country, expressing their desire for a
personal union with Prussia, but they have no right whatever to
make such a declaration. A detailed protest against such an
unlawful attempt by this nobility, was made to the German
Government by the Esthonian delegation in Stockholm on the 21st
of March 1918. A new protest against the resolution of the
Liv-Esthonian Landesrat’s proposition of a union with Prussia
was made to the German Chancellor and Foreign Secretary of State
by the plenipotentiary Esthonian delegation in Christiania on
the 13th of April 1918.
We may also add that Russia was asked to immediately declare her
recognition of Esthonia’s independence on supposition that the
general democratic parliament decided over Esthonia’s future
political state and international position but not the
Liv-Esthonian German nobility or appointed Landesrat; this
supposition we maintain in like manner.
In consideration of all the above said, we have the honor to ask
the Government of United States of America—
- (1)
- To recognize the independence of the democratic
republic of Esthonia within her ethnographical
frontiers, including the isles of the Moon Sound;
- (2)
- To recognize the provisional government authorized by
the Esthonian Diet as the only legal power of Esthonia;
and
- (3)
- To grant to Esthonia the right to participate at the
general peace conference, so as to be able to defend her
interests and introduce the question of Esthonian
perpetual neutrality and its international
guarantees.
We have [etc.]
-
Ant. Piip
-
K. R.
Pusta
-
Edward
Wirgo
Authorized Representatives of
Esthonia
London
,
3rd of May
1918
.
