Office of the Historian

740.0011 European War 1939/26449: Telegram

The Chargé in the Soviet Union (Henderson) to the Secretary of State

Kuibyshev (Moscow), December 11, 1942—9 p.m.
[Received December 12—1:15 p.m.]

1084. For the Secretary and Under Secretary. Reference my telegrams 1059, December 7, 5 p.m.88 and 1082, December 11, 7 p.m.89

[Page 108]
1.
If the Department perceives no objection I should like, during my impending conversation with Molotov early next week,90 and in case his attitude makes it possible for me to do so, to ask him whether in the opinion of the Soviet Government the time has come when something might be done in the direction of prevailing upon Finland to break away from Germany and to make peace with the Soviet Union. For some time the Swedish Minister here,91 who, as has been reported, is considered since very friendly to the Allies, has been insisting that now is the time to exert every effort to extricate Finland from its present position.
2.
The Czechoslovak Minister,92 who it will be recalled is very close to the Soviet authorities, called on me today, and after discussing other matters also referred to the Finnish situation. He said that he had the feeling that the Russians might be more interested now than they have been in the past in effecting a settlement with Finland. His idea, which is similar to that of the Swedish Minister, is that the Russians might now feel themselves to be in a sufficiently strong position to permit overtures to be made to Finland without the impression being created that such overtures reflected weakness on their part.
3.
The Swedish Minister is inclined to believe that if the Finns could receive assurances through the United States or some other channels that the Russians might be willing to negotiate on the basis of the Moscow agreement, altered to permit Hango and perhaps Viborg to remain in Finnish hands, accompanied by explanations that if Finland refuses to negotiate it might eventually expect Soviet occupation, they would be sorely tempted to reconsider their position. The Swedish Minister feels that success with regard to Finland could not fail to make a powerful impression on Sweden and would considerably strengthen the influence of those Swedish groups who desire Sweden to come out openly on the Allied side.
4.
If I should mention the matter to Molotov I would, of course, confine my remarks to questions of an exploratory nature.
5.
Please send reply direct to Moscow.
Henderson
  1. Not printed.↩
  2. Vol. iii, p. 483.↩
  3. For the Chargé’s report on his conversation with Molotov, see his telegram No. 537, December 15, 9 p.m., vol. iii, p. 484.↩
  4. Per Vilhelm Gustaf Assarsson.↩
  5. Zdenek Fierlinger.↩