Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-02-10
CHAPTER XIV.

Ominous Developments In North
eastern Europe were drawing our
anxious attention while Congress
debated the neutrality bill. Russia
was engaging in q wide movement
to outline new strategic borders for
herself along the Baltic.
She was evidently seeking to in
crease her protection against for
eign nations, but an estimate OF
the military situation disproved
that it could be the Allies, to whom
the Baltic was forbidden by Ger
man might. Obviously Stain was
still preoccupied over Germany,
placing no more trust in Hitler's
word contained in the nonaggression
agreement Of August, 1899, than did
the Allies. ..
While we could sympathize with
Russia's efforts to protect herself
against Grmany, we were anxious
lest her moves lead to an extension
of the European conflict.
After her agreement with Ger
many she was like q catfish lying
in the mud waiting for anything
to come along. At the end OF Sep
TENDER and October she was able,
without using military force, to
bring the small Baltic states Of
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, with
in her orbit.
Through q variety Of pressures,
she induced them to grand her
a number Of strategic bases. and
stationed 10000 troops in each of
the three countries. Since nominally
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania re-
tanned their governments and in
dependence, there was no diplomatic
steps we felt called upon to take.
Firms Failed to Yield.
The same pressures, however. did
not work In the case Of Finland.
That doughty little nation gave
every evidence Of fighting rather
than yielding.
Our relations with Russia were
now unfortunately complicated by
an incident to an American
freighter, City of Flint" (The ship,
carrying q mixed cargo to Britain,
was captured on October 8, 1899, by
the German pocket battleship
Deutschland" and taken by q prize
crew to Tromso, Norway, and then
to the Russian port Of Murmansk.
The ships stay at Murn1ansk occa-
stoned American representations
concerning the rules governing mar
thine warfare.)
The negotiations between Russia
and Finland were proceeding during
the course Of the City Of Flint in
cident, but they were going badly.
The Soviet demands for frontier
changes and for the cession Of
island bases in the Gulf Of Finland
were regarded by Finland as likely
to impair her Independence.
The negotiations broke down on
November 10 and relations between
the two countries rapidly worsened.
On the afternoon Of November %
Ambassador Bullitt telephoned me
from Paris that the Soviet Union
had Just denounced its nonaggres-
sion treaty with Finland and would
attack Finland In the immediate
future. He suggested that If our
Government could do anything In
the circumstances we had better dc
it quickly.
took this UP at once with; the
President and we decided to extend
our good Offices to Finland and Rus
STA to compose the dispute, If they
were willing. I accordingly dis
patched q message to Moscow and
Helsinki In which I said our Gov
eminent was following with serious
concern the intensification Of the
Finnish-Soviet dispute, and added:
1T would view with extreme re-
greet any extension of the present
area Of war and the consequent
further deterioration Of interna-
tional relations. without in any
way becoming involved in the merits
Of the dispute, and limiting its in
terests to the solution of the dis
,>,,&n bv ,,ooc afI1l ,,rocesseS univ