740.0011 European War 1939/16916a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in Finland (Schoenfeld)
246. Please transmit secretly on November 28 a Note Verbale with the following wording to the Finnish Government:
“The American Minister presents his compliments to His Excellency the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland and at the request of His Britannic Majesty’s Government has the honor to transmit to the Finnish Government the attached communication from the British Government:
‘On September 22nd the Norwegian Government delivered to the Finnish Government on behalf of His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom a message to the effect that if the Finnish Government persisted in invading purely Russian territory a situation would arise in which Great Britain would be forced to treat Finland as an open enemy not only while the war lasts but also when peace comes to be made; but that if Finland should terminate her war against Russia and evacuate all territories beyond her frontier of 1939, His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom would be ready to study proposals for improvement of relations between Great Britain and Finland.
The Finnish Government’s reply shows no disposition to respond to this overture, nor have they ceased to pursue aggressive military operations on the territory of the U. S. S. R., the ally of Great Britain, in closest collaboration with Germany. The Finnish Government have sought to contend that their war against Soviet Russia does not involve participation in the general European war. This contention His Majesty’s Government finds it impossible to accept.
His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom in these circumstances find it necessary to inform the Finnish Government that unless by December 3rd the Finnish Government ceases military operations and further withdraws from all active participation in hostilities, His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom will have no choice but to declare the existence of a state of war between the two countries.’”84
- This note was delivered by the Minister in Finland to the Chief of the Political Department of the Finnish Foreign Office, Mr. A. Ivalo, at 3:15 p.m., on November 28, 1941. (740.0011 European War 1939/16937) Upon later instruction from the Department of State, the Minister informed the Finnish Foreign Office on November 29, 1941, that the British Government desired to change to December 5 the date of December 3 set in the British note verbale. (740.0011 European War 1939/16941)↩