File No. 860d.01/32
Memorandum of the Assistant Secretary of State
Mr. Barclay showed me a telegram just received to-day from his Government giving the Foreign Office views regarding a message from the British Consul at Helsingfors. The view is expressed that because of the discontinuance of the Constituent Assembly, with the approval of the Russian people, the question of the formal assent of the British Government to the independence of Finland is indefinitely postponed. They feel, however, that this fact should not weigh too heavily against the Finnish people. The British Government, therefore, are prepared to inform the Finnish people that they are ready to give formal recognition to their Government as soon as the Finns express by some unmistakable method such as an election their sanction of their own independence. Meanwhile, animated by the utmost good will and sympathy they (the British Government) are prepared to treat them as the de facto authorities in Finland.
The British Government are most anxious to act on parallel lines with the United States Government and would be glad to have their views.