File No. 860d.48/24
The Secretary of State to the French Ambassador ( Jusserand )
Excellency: I have the honor to refer to your note of August 29, 1918, in regard to furnishing food supplies to Finland, and beg to inform you that after considering this question again, the United States does not see its way clear to modify its original decision that, quite aside from the difficulty of securing necessary tonnage space, it does not seem either practicable or advisable to assist the Finnish population with food supplies as long as the existing authorities are so strongly influenced by Germany or while they permit Finnish territory to serve as a base of operation for German troops in military undertakings against the Allies.
[Page 587]The views of this Government have been communicated to the British Government and an answer in the same sense has been given to the Swedish Minister, in response to a memorandum which he submitted on this subject under date of August 8, 1918. I am pleased to note that this decision would seem to accord with that of your Government.
Accept [etc.]