Office of the Historian

860P.00/327

The Latvian Minister (Bilmanis) to the Secretary of State 1

No. 701/502
Washington, August 5, 1940.

Sir: With reference to my Notes dated July 13th, 18th and 23rd,2 and in view of the fact that the Supreme Soviet of the Union of Soviet [Page 407] Socialist Republics has proclaimed the incorporation of the Republic of Latvia into the Soviet Union, I have the honor to inform you that I consider this act to be an outrageous infringement of international law, practice and morals and that I protest against this violation of Latvia’s integrity.

Although the U. S. S. R. has attempted to give a semblance of legality to the proceedings, a glance at the Constitution of Latvia shows that this “legality” is nothing but a flimsy veil to cover the annihilation of the independence of a weaker country by brutal force. Article One of the Constitution of Latvia states that

“1. Latvia is an independent democratic republic.”

Articles Seventy-six and Seventy-seven of the Constitution further state that

  • “76. Saeima [Parliament]3 may amend the Constitution in sessions in which at least two-thirds of the members of Saeima participate. Amendments shall be adopted in three readings by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the votes of the deputies present.”
  • “77. Should the Saeima amend Articles One, Two, Three or Six of the Constitution, such amendments to attain legal force shall be referred to a national referendum.”

It is well known that no referendum was carried out in Latvia and that even the Saeima elections were illegal, only one party being permitted to run. Moreover, no referendum could have been carried out in the presence of the huge military forces of the Soviet Union occupying Latvia. Thus the action of the U. S. S. R. and of the Latvian puppet Saeima in incorporating the Republic of Latvia into the Soviet Union does not have the slightest constitutional legality.

In view of the above and as the duly accredited envoy and representative of the constitutional Government of Latvia to the United States of America, I have the honor respectfully to beg the United States Government to refuse to recognize this predatory act of the U. S. S. R. whereby the Republic of Latvia has been robbed of its independence.

Accept [etc.]

Dr. Alfred Bilmanis
  1. Similar notes were presented to the Department by the Lithuanian Minister, Povilas Zadeikis, on August 3, and by the Acting Consul General of Estonia in New York, in charge of the Estonian Legation, Johannes Kaiv, on August 6. The receipt of all three notes was acknowledged on August 10 by the Counselor of the Department, R. Walton Moore.↩
  2. None printed.↩
  3. Brackets appear in the original note.↩