Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1918, Russia, Volume II

File No. 861.00/2597

The Ambassador in Great Britain ( Page ) to the Secretary of State

No. 9724

London , August 19, 1918 .
[Received August 30.]

Sir: With reference to my despatch No. 9011 of May 10, 1918, I have the honor to transmit herewith enclosed, for such action as may be deemed appropriate, the copy of a communication which was left at the Embassy by Professor Antoine Piip with the request that it be transmitted to you.

I have [etc.]

[For the Ambassador:]

Irwin Laughlin

[Enclosure]

The Esthonian Representative ( Piip ) to the American Ambassador in Great Britain ( Page )

London , August 14, 1918 .

Sir: According to the latest news, the Russian de facto Government and Germany have recently made an agreement, by which the parts of Esthonia and Livonia, indicated in Article 6 of Brest Litovsk treaty, are also separated from Russia, and that the Germans have created a general administration for the whole Baltic provinces, preparing the incorporation of these provinces into Germany.

In this manner Russia renounced the last shadow of rights of sovereignty which she had conserved by the Brest Litovsk treaty on these ceded territories. Meanwhile Bolshevist Russia and Germany made a new attempt to decide the fate of the Esthonian people without consulting them.

Therefore I, as authorized representative of the Esthonian provisional government and National Council, consider it my duty to protest emphatically, on behalf of the Esthonian people, against such acts of the Russian and German Governments, and declare that sovereign Esthonia and the Esthonian people, being an independent republic, according to the acts of Esthonian National Council from [15/]28 November 1917 and 24 February 1918, on the basis of self-determination of peoples which is proclaimed as the status of the country in former Russia, deny any right whatever for Russian or other foreign governments to negotiate about the fate of Esthonia and make any international agreement, without the consent of the Esthonian people and republic in the person of their provisional government and National Council, and all such arrangements, concluded without the participation or adhesion of Esthonian provisional government and National Council, are for the Esthonian republic and people nil and void.

Having the honor to notify this to the Government of United States of America, the Esthonian people are sure that the sovereign rights of Esthonian people for self-determination and independence of Esthonian republic will be infallibly respected by all the civilized world and governments. Esthonian people, holding fast their hope for victory of freedom and justice, are sure that in the decisive hour all crimes, committed by Germans to Esthonia, will find their impartial and strong retaliation.

I have [etc.]

Antoine Piip