860d.51/362
Memorandum of Conversation, by the the Secretary of State
The Minister of Finland came in to speak about a loan which his Government is hoping to get from this Government through the Reconstruction Finance Corporation. I said that Mr. Jesse Jones was the chief authority of our Government on the question of the advisability of such loan and that he might keep in touch with Mr. Jones. This the Minister seemed to understand and to be disposed to do. He then said that Russia was not making any demands on his country just now; that he did not know when they might take up the question of establishing bases on certain Finnish islands in the Gulf of Finland and also securing access to the Aland Islands. He again sought to draw me out on some kind of an express or implied promise to say something to the Soviet Government in case such pressure as the foregoing should be brought to bear on his Government. I made it very clear that that would not be within the function of this Government, but that, of course, this Government was always interested in the welfare and the well-being of the Government and the people of Finland and that its feeling of interest existed at all times.