860D.00B/212: Telegram
The Minister in Finland (Schoenfeld) to the Secretary of State
[Received 5 p.m.]
336. My telegram No. 329, yesterday41 and recent despatches regarding Communist activity in Finland. The Prime Minister told me today that regardless of the value to be placed upon them assurances received by him from Molotov last March were to the effect that Soviet Government would not interfere in Finnish domestic politics. Only today a member of the Soviet Legation assured the Minister of Finance42 that the Communist agitators would receive no support from Moscow. Ryti said there were approximately 8,000 known Communists in this country and the Government would deal firmly with any unlawful activity on their part. Further attempted disturbances might be expected but they would be abortive.
Though he had been somewhat uneasy in recent weeks regarding Russian attitude in pending questions this attitude had improved and was now satisfactory. He had reason to believe though there was no official confirmation of it that when the Soviet Government apprised the German Government of its intentions in the Baltic States Hitler personally insisted on a distinction being drawn between the status of those countries and Finland.