760d.61/375: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Steinhardt) to the Secretary of State
846. My 844, November 1, 2 a.m.82 The text of Molotov’s lengthy speech delivered last night which appears in this morning’s press discloses that while he did not mention Hango by name the Soviet Government apparently has not receded from its intention to insist on a naval base in or near the entrance to the Gulf of Finland. His remarks on this point reads as follows in close translation:
“We proposed also to reach an agreement whereby Finland would lease to us for a limited period a small piece of its territory in the region of the entrance to the Finnish Gulf so that we might establish a naval base there.
[Page 786]“With a Soviet naval base at the southern side of the entrance to the Gulf of Finland, namely, at Baltiski Port, as provided for by the Soviet-Estonian Pact of Mutual Assistance, the establishment of a naval base at the northern side of the entrance would completely guarantee the security of the Gulf of Finland against hostile attack by other powers.”
It will be noted that the language employed by Molotov as published is ambiguous by reason of his failure to specify whether the desired naval base must be on the mainland or may be on an island.
A note of menace may be detected in one or two brief passages of Molotov’s remarks on the Finnish negotiations. I am of course unable to determine whether these references are purely for trading purposes or are to be taken seriously. In general, however, his speech in so far as it deals with Finland alone appears to be a temperate analysis of the negotiations up to the present time.
The text of Molotov’s speech now being available I am of the opinion that the outcome of the negotiations is still dependent upon a solution of the Soviet Government’s insistence on a naval base at the entrance of the Gulf of Finland.
Upon reading the published version of Molotov’s remarks I am astounded to discover that in addition to the reference to the Philippines (see my telegram No. 844, November 1, 2 a.m.) he likewise asserted that Cuba also has long demanded from the United States its “freedom and independence” but without success.83b
- Telegram in three sections.↩
- Not printed.↩
- The Republic of Cuba was constitutionally established, and the military occupation of the United States ended, on May 20, 1902. See Foreign Relations, 1902, pp. 320 ff. The so-called Platt Amendment, establishing special relations between the United States and Cuba, was abrogated by the treaty signed May 29, 1934. For text of the treaty, see Department of State Treaty Series No. 866, or 48 Stat. 1682.↩