411.60d Finnish Vessels/164

The Finnish Minister ( Järnefelt ) to the Secretary of State

Excellency: Referring to Your Excellency’s note dated August 9, 1935,19 by which you informed me that the United States Government would not recommend to the Congress that the Finnish shipowners should be given the right to have their claims examined before a disinterested court, I have the honor to inform Your Excellency that I have been instructed by my Government to state the following:

The standpoint set forth in Your Excellency’s note is alien to the conception of justice, from time immemorial in force in Finland and adopted even by most countries. Finnish citizens as well as foreigners are entitled, according to the system of legal procedure actually in force in Finland, and have always been entitled, to sue without special permission the Finnish Government before a Finnish court in order to have their claims against the Government decided by a disinterested tribunal.

After having learned of the negative standpoint of the United States, the shipowners, deeply worried, have approached the Finnish Government anew, asking the Government to do all in its power in order that the shipowners might be awarded an equitable compensation or at least the right to have an impartial decision on this question which is for them economically highly fateful.

With regard to the above, my Government, which still is of the opinion that the Finnish shipowners cannot fairly be denied an opportunity to have their cases impartially decided, has instructed me to request that Your Excellency could see your way to give this question of compensation a renewed consideration.

Accept [etc.]

Eero Järnefelt