Office of the Historian

740.0011 European War 1939/22163a: Telegram

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

Washington, June 6, 1942—5 p.m.

121. In reply to inquiries today from the press concerning Hitler’s visit to Finland, I said:

“It is evident that the visit is a deliberate ruse on the part of the Germans to compromise Finland further in the eyes of the anti-Axis world and a cover for the desperate attempts of Hitler to induce Finland to make further contributions to Axis military campaigns. A reported statement yesterday of a Finnish spokesman in Helsinki may be interpreted to mean that Finland is balking at the German pressure.

[Page 65]

“We are watching the situation most closely to see whether this visit of Hitler results in any greater degree of cooperation with Hitler against the United Nations.”98

Repeat to Stockholm as Dept’s No. 492.

Hull
  1. The Minister in Finland reported in his telegram No. 485, June 10, 1942, that no reference whatever had been made to this statement in the Finnish press (740.0011 European War 1939/22164).↩