740.00119 European War 1939/1028: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in Finland (Schoenfeld)
123. Our 114, May 27. Following secret telegram from Ankara has been received:99
“Finnish Minister called to see me this morning and read me substance of a telegram which he received yesterday from his Government. Minister explained that in his last telegram to his Government he had suggested if it desired to pursue the matter any further appropriate instructions be sent to Procopé.
“Finnish Government agreed with Minister’s suggestion and instructed him to inform me to this effect. His Government then informed Minister in strict confidence on May 22 Procopé had telegraphed an unidentified person in Washington had suggested to him the conclusion of a separate peace with Soviet Union saying Soviet was disposed to make peace with Finland and he had reason to believe that State Department would lend its good offices if formally requested to do so by either Finland or Soviet Union but without such a request State Department would not be disposed to take any action. Telegram closes with following:
“‘For this reason we have informed Procopé” that according to our information Soviet Union is not disposed to discuss peace with Finland.’
“In response to my inquiry as to his opinion concerning source of Finnish Government’s information that Soviet was not disposed to discuss peace with Finland at this time Minister replied he had little doubt it came from the Swedes.”
We have not been approached by Procopé in the foregoing connection.
- Telegram No. 547 was sent by Ambassador Laurence A. Steinhardt from Ankara at 2 p.m., June 6, and was received at 6:43 p.m.↩