760D.61/1228b: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Steinhardt)78
150. Erkko has informed Sterling at Stockholm that the Finnish government has accepted Russian invitation to send envoys to Moscow and that a delegation including Tanner and Paasikivi flew from Stockholm to Moscow early this morning. It is believed that the Russian terms are drastic.
[Page 301]Kindly arrange to see Molotov immediately, putting the conference on as personal a basis as possible. Please state to him that this government has no purpose of intervening in the negotiations between Finland and the Soviet Union, but the American people are vividly interested. Our public opinion would be deeply impressed were the Soviet government to take a generous attitude towards Finland.
In your discretion you might further intimate that you are informed that there has been increasing popular demand here for measures affecting economic relations with certain areas, and that some of such movements would be slowed down, depending on the degree of moderation and generosity arrived at in the Finnish settlement.
The substance of this telegram has been transmitted to Stockholm and Helsinki.
- Substance of this telegram transmitted on the same date to the Minister in Sweden as No. 44, and to the Minister in Finland as No. 81.↩