740.0011 European War 1939/4332: Telegram
The Minister in Latvia (Wiley) to the Secretary of State
[Received 4:35 p.m.]
171. The German Minister57 tells me that after the Soviet ultimatum (of which his Government had given him 9 hours’ advance [Page 383] notice) he was instructed not to have any contact with members of the previous regime and to refuse visas to all would-be Latvian political refugees who wished to flee to Germany for asylum (there have already been over 200). When the Diplomatic Corps has to leave, the German Legation will be the first to withdraw. All this he said represented his Government’s desire to emphasize the good understanding existing between the Reich and the Soviet Union. He said that he had received an unconfirmed report from Kaunas this morning that Lithuania had already decided to petition for incorporation in the U. S. S. R. He doubted this story. Personally he thought the process would be slow. From what the Soviet Minister tells him Soviet policy desires to avoid violent measures in these countries as a demonstration of Russia’s “peaceful mission of culture”. The German Minister believes that popular elections will precede incorporation of the Baltic States in the Soviet Union and that such elections will require some time to prepare.
He thinks it is quite possible that the Soviet Union may in the meantime take over the conduct of foreign affairs. In any event the local Diplomatic Corps will have to leave sooner or later.
A local Communist who was befriended by his employer has assured him that he was in no danger and that Latvia would not be taken over for at least 6 months.
The new Commander-in-Chief received Major Huthsteiner this morning. The situation at first looked very black. He was now more hopeful of Latvia’s retaining control over domestic and cultural affairs (it seems to me that this control is already lost) but he admitted that there was no hope of controlling foreign affairs.
- Hans Ulrich von Kotze.↩