760d.61/890: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in Finland (Schoenfeld)
2. (1) Your 487, December 30, 7 p.m.,35 leaves us almost as confused as we were as to precisely what the Prime Minister has in mind. It [Page 1040] is not clear, for instance, whether he desired the United States in cooperation with other powers to endeavor to arrange for a peace conference in which a number of countries would participate with the purpose of bringing about a cessation of the conflict between Finland and the Soviet Union, or whether it is his idea that the United States, together with other powers, should merely try to persuade the Soviet Union to enter into bilateral peace negotiations with Finland.
(2) We are now in receipt of a telegram from Steinhardt in reply to our telegram to him referred to in the last paragraph of our no. 219 of December 29, 6 p.m.,36 to you. For your personal information only, Steinhardt says that he is in possession of no evidence which would justify a belief that now is a propitious time to approach the Soviet Government with a view to prevailing upon it to enter into negotiations with the Finnish Government, and that he has observed nothing thus far which would indicate that the Soviet Government has any desire to extricate itself from the difficulties which it is encountering as a result of its war with Finland.
(3) You are authorized orally to inform the Prime Minister that while we do not wish to leave untaken any step which might lead in the direction of the cessation of hostilities between the Soviet Union and Finland, the results of our own investigations cause us to doubt that an approach by this Government to the Soviet Government for a peace conference would serve any useful purpose at the present time. We are nevertheless willing to give consideration to any suggestions or concrete proposals which the Finnish Government may at anytime desire to make to us.