SOVIET PACT IMPOSED ON ESTONIA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 September 1939, Page 7

SOVIET PACT IMPOSED ON ESTONIA

Baltic State Becomes Military Province RUSSIAN NAVAL AND AIR BASES TRADE AGREEMENT ALSO SIGNED (By Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright.) LONDON, September 28. A 10-year pact has been made between Russia and Estonia, states a message from Moscow. The terms of the pact are: — (1) The countries agree to assist each other in the event of direct aggression by any great. European Power, cither in the Baltic or through Latvia. (2) Russia undertakes to equip the Estonian army. (3) Estonia will allow Russia to maintain naval and air bases in the islands of Oesel and Dago and in the town of Paldiski. The bases will remain Estonian territory. (4) The countries agree not to participate in any coalition against each other. (5) The countries agree that the pact does not affect sovereign rights, economic systems or constitutions. (6) The pact is effective within six days and will operate for .10 years. The Tass Agency announces that the Soviet Union and Estonia have also signed a new trade agreement. A Stockholm message says it is understood that Russia has got permission to station 25,000 troops in Oesel and Dago for the duration of the war.

A PAINFUL DECISION.

The Helsingfors correspondent of the “New York Times” said it was learnt on excellent authority that the Estonian delegation in Moscow informed M Molotox that Estonia was prepared to accept at least some of the Russian demands. These were understood to conclude control of certain territory on the west coast of Estonia! This painful decision was taken in the hope of avoiding still greater claims. The Estonian authorities utterly disbelieved the Soviet statement about the torpedoeing by an unknown submarine of the Soviet freighter Metalist, off Estonia, asserting that it was a concoction to inflame Soviet opinion. All sections in Estonia bitterly realised that Russia was taking advantage of .the present European position to throw Estonia into the melting-pot and they ruefully realise that help was forthcoming from nowhere.

Finnish newspapers refrained from signalising the seriousness of Estonia’s position, it being deemed apparently inopportune politically at this stage of the Baltic crisis to scrutinise the motives and methods of the two great Powers chiefly concerned in Estonia’s fate. Estonia’s complete independence was considered one of the cornerstones of the peace policy of the northern neutrals. The latter had received a rude shock, which soon might have repercussions elsewhere in the Baltic.

A broadcast message yesterday announced that during the discussions between M Molotov and M Selter, the Estonian Foreign Minister, the former demanded the right to.station a Soviet garrison of 25,000 in Estonian territory. M Seltzer replied: “No, no, no,” whereupon the negotiations were abruptly suspended. Later. M Molotov announced that Russia would be satisfied with a protectorate. It was further stated that the main implication of the negotiations was that in the future Estonia and Latvia would play a subordinate role under Russian influence. In Norway and Sweden there was a strong undercurrent of anxiety at the developments in the Baltic, but the people outwardly were calm. FURTHER DETAILS INCREASE IN TOTAL TRADE TURNOVER. TREATIES DECLARED STILL IN FORCE. (Received This Day, 9 a.m.) TALLIN, September 29. It is revealed that additional details of the Russian-Estonian pact include: (1) The total trade turnover will be increased 41 times, to £2,095,000. (2) Estonian railway trade will be

admitted to Murmansk and also to White Sea and Black Sea ports, the Russian enjoying similar facilities in , Estonia.

(3) The Russo-Estonian peace treaty of 1920, whereby Russia recognised Estonia’s independence and also the nonaggression pact of 1932 are still in force.