701.60D11/223½
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Secretary of State (Berle)
The Finnish Minister came in to see me at his request.
We first cleared up the question of permission for him to travel to New York and Providence, which had been granted yesterday. The Minister told me he had planned to go to Providence to spend a weekend with Mrs. Merriman but as there was not adequate time, he was limiting his trip to New York where he had to investigate an expenditure by the Finnish Consul General there.
He took advantage of the opportunity, as usual, to discuss the problem of Finnish-American relations. I told him that these had been made entirely clear to him by Mr. Welles and that there was not much now to say.
The Minister said that certain columnists had accused him of misleading his Government as to the friendship of the United States and Finland. Actually, he had not done that but had always leaned to the dark side of the picture.
He referred to a conversation he had with me at my house some months ago, in which I had told him that the ineluctable forces of military operation could produce only one result. Finland was fighting on the side of the Germans—and the rest of the world were lining up against the Germans.
I observed that I had nothing to add to the statement I had then made, namely, that the cardinal fact was that Germany was the enemy of the United States and of most of the civilized world, and that Germany’s allies were necessarily lumped with Germany in the general jackpot.
I pointed out that I had told him then that the theory that there was a separate Finnish-Russian war, apart from the general war, was an impossible position to take. The Minister said he knew this was so and he had consistently so reported to his Government. He added that he saw no solution.
I said that I could again refer him to his conversation with Mr. Welles. The Minister observed that Mr. Welles had not proposed a [Page 45] solution but had merely stated that if Finland’s policy continued as it was, relations with the United States would become more critical. The Minister had reported to his Government that would probably mean a breach of relations between the United States and Finland. I made no comment.
The Minister then said that he found it difficult to see how the Finns, even though they did not take part in the spring offensive, could follow the situation resulting from the existence of German troops on the ground. They were not in a position to fight both Russia and Germany.
I said that as to that, I was not well enough informed to discuss the matter.