740.0011 European War 1939/511: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Steinhardt) to the Secretary of State
599. My telegram No. 566, September 19, 3 p.m.1 The Estonian Foreign Minister is arriving in Moscow tomorrow. A member of the Estonian Legation here stated in confidence that the purpose of his visit is the signature of a commercial agreement between the Russian Soviet and Estonia which will provide for enlarged transit and storage facilities for Soviet products in transit through Estonia and similar transit facilities for Estonian goods in the Soviet Union. In addition the agreement will provide for an increase trade turnover between the two countries. The agreement was apparently hastily negotiated since it was stated that the negotiations began only on September 15. Although my informant was somewhat vague on this point I received the impression that negotiations were begun on Soviet initiative.
Although my informant maintained that the purpose of the Foreign Minister’s visit was to sign the commercial treaty, he admitted that the visit was at the request of the Soviet Government and that political questions might be discussed but professed to be unable to state the nature thereof.
It would appear from the foregoing that the Soviet Government is concluding this treaty with Estonia in order to obtain increased transit facilities through Estonia for Soviet supplies to Germany. The proposed increased export of goods from Estonia to the Soviet Union can hardly be of very great importance to this country.
[Page 940]I consider it likely that matters of a more far reaching nature possibly affecting the fortified Estonian islands at the mouth of the Gulf of Finland may be discussed during the visit of the Foreign Minister.