500.C001/1490
The Minister in Latvia (Wiley) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 26, 1940.]
Sir: Referring to the Legation’s telegram No. 344 of December 11, 6 p.m.69 I have the honor to report that, according to information furnished me by M. Tattar, a director of the Estonian Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Foreign Ministers of the Baltic States when recently at Tallinn attending the Tenth Conference of the Foreign Ministers of the Baltic States discussed privately the matter of abstaining from voting at Geneva on the question of the expulsion of the Soviet Union from the League of Nations.70 This “discussion” technically was not a part of the proceedings of the Conference mentioned. M. Tattar stated further that there was no point on the agenda of the Conference relating to this question and that it was not discussed at the Conference.
According to information obtained by a member of my staff from an Estonian diplomat here, the agreement which was reached by the three Ministers not to vote on the question mentioned was not put in writing. The informant indicated that the lack of independence of the Baltic States in matters of foreign policy was clearly to be seen in this incident.
Respectfully yours,