740.00112 Navicert/196: Telegram
The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 6—8:05 a.m.]
3629. Your 3300, October 29, 5 p.m. Recent difficulties affecting the granting of navicerts for shipment of American goods to Finland arose primarily from (1) the German-Finnish agreement concluded about 3 weeks ago permitting German troops to transit Finland and [Page 60] (2) restrictions placed by Finland under German pressure on the exportation of certain Swedish goods through Finland.
Negotiations have been proceeding between the Finnish Legation London and the Minister of Economic Warfare to overcome these difficulties and progress reasonably satisfactory to both parties appears to have been made.
The Ministry informed the Embassy today that arrangements have been made for British supervision of the disposition of supplies and the issuing of navicerts covering American goods for Finland has been resumed on as generous a scale as seems justified by the somewhat complicated situation obtaining in Finland. The Ministry expresses the fullest sympathy with Finnish requirements and the intention to permit as large a flow of supplies as practicable with especial regard for the need for fats.
The Finnish Legation here on its part appears to feel that the British authorities have given the most sympathetic consideration to Finnish needs and that the arrangements being worked out will reasonably meet their requirements even though perhaps not wholly satisfying them.
For additional background reference is made to the Embassy’s 2634, August 9, 4 p.m., and 3323, October 4, 7 p.m., in reply to the Department’s 2162, August 3, 2 p.m. and 2932, September 27, 7 p.m., respectively.54
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