740.0011 European War 1939/20731: Telegram
The Minister in Finland (Schoenfeld) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 1—8:20 a.m.]
251. French Minister75 told me yesterday he has good reason to think Finns have decided to take no further offensive action against Russians at least for present and are resolved to resist continued German pressure to participate in spring offensive. He says Finns explain visit to [of] Marshal Von List to far north as German affair in which they are not concerned.
Now that Finns have recovered Suursaari Island in Gulf of Finland, as just announced, I believe French Minister’s impression may be quite correct.
He adds that feeling Finnish Government as among public is definitely that anything should be avoided which might further jeopardize maintenance of relations with United States. When he said Finnish Government is firmly following its “middle course” my comment was that policy of Government hardly leaves Finns much choice.
- Hubert Guérin.↩