Foreign Relations of the United States, Diplomatic Papers, 1939, General, Volume I

760d.61/366: Telegram

The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Steinhardt) to the Secretary of State

Moscow, October 28 [30], 1939—9 p.m.
[Received October 30—3 p.m.]

836. Personal for the Secretary and Under Secretary. My telegram No. 828, October 28, 9 p.m.⁶² The Swedish Minister called this morning under instructions from his Foreign Minister to discuss with me the advisability of my suggesting to the President a further indication of American interest in an amicable outcome of the Finnish-Soviet negotiations. I inferred that his [inquiry?] was preliminary to a consideration by the Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs of an approach along the same lines in Washington. I told him that in my opinion the present situation would hardly justify me in making such a recommendation to my Government but that if the trend of the negotiations now about to be resumed gave indication of an impending rupture I would bear his suggestion in mind.

He said that his Government continues to regard the Soviet demand for a base at Hango as the vital point at issue and is gravely concerned over the present status quo as he doubts the willingness of either side to make concessions on this point. He said he understood that in order to meet the Finnish objection to a Soviet base on the Finnish mainland the Soviet Government had offered to dig a canal to separate the proposed base at Hango from the mainland but that this puerile suggestion had been rejected by the Finns. He said he also understood that the Finns had offered to cede sufficient territory to the Soviet Government to remove the Finnish frontier to a distance of 50 kilometers from Leningrad but that the Finns had thus far been unwilling to agree to a closer approach of the Soviet frontier to Viborg.

The Minister did not know why his Government is so concerned at this particular moment. The one indication in regard to the future course of these negotiations which I have received since the departure of the Finnish delegation (see my telegram No. 828, October 28, 9 p.m.) was more optimistic than previous information from the same source.⁶⁴

Steinhardt

62. Not printed.
64. The Ambassador had reported in his telegram that a member of the German Embassy in Moscow had “the impression [that] the Soviet Government is now prepared to modify in some respects the demands presented to Finland in order to achieve an amicable and peaceful solution.” (760d.61/361)