740.0011 European War 1939/19216a: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Minister in Finland ( Schoenfeld )38

31. Following treacherous Japanese attack on December 7, and subsequent declarations of war on us by Germany and other Axis powers on December 11, 1941, we have been compelled to review in the light of those events the military and political situations in all other countries not signatory to the Declaration by United Nations39 or at war with us. In the case of Finland we find that probably the most outstanding factor at this time is the use which German troops are [Page 34] making of Finnish territory as bases of military operation, so far as we are aware, with the full consent of the Finnish Government.

We are unaware of any evidence that the Finnish Government has taken any action since Germany’s declaration of war on us or even before that date, to clarify or justify its position with regard to the continued presence in Finland of German armed forces and use of Finnish territory as a base of operations by German forces. It must be recognized that the continued presence and activities of German armed forces on Finnish territory unopposed by the Finnish Government has a direct bearing on the status of Finland in the present war situation.

You are requested to bring this matter orally to the attention of the Finnish Government, leaving with it a memorandum of your oral presentation of our views.

Hull
  1. In response to an inquiry by Assistant Secretary of State Adolf A. Berle, Jr., regarding the “objective” of this telegram, Mr. L. Randolph Higgs of the Division of European Affairs, who drafted it, explained in an attached memorandum dated January 30, 1942:

    “With possibility in mind we or British may find it necessary at some future time to make a landing at Petsamo or move through Northern Finland from Murmansk area against Germans in Northern Norway and Finland, Eu [Division of European Affairs] thinks it desirable to emphasize at this time for the record the use which German troops are making of Finnish territory.

    “Another aim of the attached telegram is to reinforce the thought to the Finnish Government that by prolonging its close association with Germany it risks running into unavoidable complications which neither it nor we desire.”

    When the Acting Chief of the Division, Ray Atherton, initialled this memorandum, he added: “I cite also spirit of attached” telegram.

  2. Declaration of January 1, 1942, vol. i, p. 25.