860D.00/1000: Telegram
The Minister in Finland (Schoenfeld) to the Secretary of State
[Received 4:55 p.m.]
1200. My 1199 today.79 Ryti’s speech80 suggests that he has gone the whole way with Germans. His sole reference to Nordic solidarity is in historical review introducing his main argument and no reference is made as had been rumored to support of democracy except that he mentions Finland’s Nordic institutions. He did not refer to rapprochement with United States or Britain.
He twice used word “geo-politics”, almost said Japan would win its war for East Asia and hailed a strong Germany as principal bulwark of Europe against Soviet aggression. Except for veiled reference to Japanese victory he made no allusion to anything outside Europe and a reading of speech would not even suggest that United States was in the war. His reference to Finland as only state surviving among those created following First World War speciously pointed to Soviet absorption of Baltic States81 and Bessarabia82 completely ignoring German destruction of both old and new states in this war.
His address seems to indicate that Ryti has burned his bridges behind him and gambled everything on German victory. He maintains doctrine that his policy is “not only the sole way but the right way” to assured future for Finland and gives no hope of cessation of hostilities and much less peace.
Witting and Rangell were only persons to receive Grand Cross Order of White Rose in honors awarded yesterday.
- Not printed.↩
- A radio address to the Finnish nation on December 6, 1942, commemorating the 25th anniversary of Finland’s independence.↩
- See Foreign Relations, 1940, vol. i, pp. 357 ff.↩
- For correspondence regarding the activities of the Soviet Union in the Balkans and the seizure of Bessarabia, see ibid., pp. 444 ff.↩