The Soviet Union, Finland, and the Baltic StatesSoviet War News — Soviet Information Bureau, 1941

The Eastern Pact.

Already in 1933, on the initiative of France and the U.S.S.R., negotiations had started for the conclusion of the so-called “ Eastern Pact.” It was proposed to include eight States in this Pact—Germany, U.S.S.R., Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Czechoslovakia. All these States were to render one another military help automatically if any one of them were attacked. France, though not participating in the Pact, was to guarantee it, whilst the U.S.S.R., not being a participant of the Locarno Pact, was to guarantee the latter.

During the negotiations with France, the Soviet Government also proposed to include in the system of the Eastern Pact, Belgium as a country bordering on Germany.

It is quite evident that such a system, if really carried out, could have formed an effective barrier against German aggression ; and as Laval, the man who did most to foil the conclusion of this Pact, said it might guarantee that—“ not a single border-stone in Europe would be moved.”

On September 12, 1934, the German Government after a seven months’ “ study ” of the draft of the Eastern Pact replied refusing to participate in it. Hitler quite correctly understood the danger which threatened him from the Eastern Pact, which would have prevented the moving of “ frontier stones and which provided for sanctions against such “ shiftings.”

Following Germany, or rather by agreement with her, Poland also refused to participate in the Pact giving as an excuse the fact that she had recently concluded a Pact of Non-Aggression with Germany. The speech on this subject by the then Polish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Beck, was opposed in Poland itself only by the organ of the National Democratic Party, which indicated the dire consequences for Poland which would result from her friendship with Hitler.

As for the Baltic States, their attitude towards the Eastern Pact was clearly hostile, although on the surface they made declarations of goodwill. Finland declined altogether to make any reply to the proposal for an Eastern Pact. Finnish diplomacy understood very well that the Eastern Pact was a strong weapon against Germany should the latter start on a course of aggression in one direction or another. It was quite evident that under the circumstances Finland did not desire to make a favourable reply.

As for the other Baltic States, their behaviour was more than suspicious. Thus, in July, 1934, the Latvian Minister in Moscow informed the Government of the U.S.S.R. that Latvia in principle agreed to sign this Pact. Similarly, during his visit to Moscow in the summer of 1934, the Estonian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Selyamaa, also declared that Estonia in principle agreed to sign the Pact. But although in December of the same year, i.e. after the negative reply given by Germany and Poland, the Latvian Mission in Paris issued a special “ denial ” of the insistent rumours that Latvia and Estonia had changed their decision and had no intention of joining the Eastern Pact, nevertheless the position both of Latvia and Estonia did in fact change immediately after the refusal of Germany and Poland to subscribe to it.

Indeed, it is extremely interesting to note that Latvia and Estonia, when giving their consent in principle to participate in the Eastern Pact, invariably made their agreement dependent on a favourable reply from Poland to this question. Moreover, when insisting on this condition, the Latvian and Estonian Governments already knew that Poland would refuse to adhere to the Eastern Pact.

In this connection one cannot but also note that in 1934 the Estonian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Selyamaa, visited Warsaw “ on his way to Vienna,” and whilst there he had an interview with the Polish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Beck. This visit to Warsaw took place at the moment when Goering was conducting negotiations in Warsaw which were certainly not directed towards the maintenance of peace in Eastern Europe.