740.0011 European War 1939/12110: Telegram
The Minister in Finland (Schoenfeld) to the Secretary of State
[Received 1:40 p.m.]
190. British Minister informed me last night he had notified Finnish Government under instructions that overseas traffic to Petsamo would be stopped temporarily as a precautionary measure in view of increasing military activity of the Germans in this country. His Government had fully advised you. He saw President Ryti and Field Marshal Mannerheim. Former was deeply shocked by British Government’s action while the latter, as Vereker said, seemed to be blinded by hatred of Russians. Finnish Government had protested British action as unjustified.
Symptomatic of German influence here at this time is fact as reported by Netherlands Chargé d’Affaires yesterday that several Dutch seamen who had escaped to this country and for whom he had provided transportation across Siberia, with Finnish Prime Minister’s acquiescence in their proposed departure, had subsequently been detained by Finnish police and returned to Holland at the behest of the Germans.