Office of the Historian

860D.00/1024: Telegram

The Chargé in Finland (McClintock) to the Secretary of State

Helsinki, December 24, 1942—noon.
[Received 4:34 p.m.]

1268. We have confirmation from reliable source2 of report in my 1255, December 22,3 that Kivimaki4 has urged necessity of Finland maintaining an alternative line. It is alleged he has gone even farther and categorically informed his Government that Germany cannot win war. Kivimaki is supposed to have urged immediate consideration of ways and means to abandon sinking German ship before Finns go down with it. He seems to have laid particular stress on cultivating Sweden to this end.

McClintock
  1. The Chargé described the informant as being an “exceptionally well informed” neutral Press Attaché↩
  2. Not printed.↩
  3. Toivo Mikael Kivimäki, Finnish Minister in Germany.↩