125.0060G/54: Telegram
The Minister in Finland (Schoenfeld) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 22—4:45 a.m.]
596. Following is text of note in English language dated July 20 received from Minister for Foreign Affairs.
“I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of Your Excellency’s note No. 798 of 16th instant14 in which Your Excellency has brought [Page 74] to my knowledge the decision of the American Government to break off consular relations between the United States and Finland.
This decision has been received with surprise by the Finnish Government, as they could not assume that the regulations communicated in the circular note, July 17, 1941, and which consequently have been in force for a year, would, without the usual exchange of views through the diplomatic channels lead to such an abrupt action on the part of the American Government.
Regretting the above decision, which does not correspond with the aspirations of the Finnish Government in the various spheres of the relations between the United States and Finland, I have the honor to inform Your Excellency, that the Finnish Minister in Washington has received the necessary instructions regarding the closing of the Finnish Consulates in the United States and the taking over of their affairs, from the first of August next.
The Finnish interests in USA are, as is known to Your Excellency, in view of the existing circumstances, considerably wider than those of which the American consular officers in Finland have been in charge. The disadvantage caused by the rupture to the United States, having no separate Consulates in Finland, is much less than to Finland, the numerous Consulates of which have been in charge of the multiple affairs of a large settlement spread over a wide area in the United States. The closing of the Consulate General in New York causes special disadvantage to Finland, since it is the main center of the economic life of the United States and in the center of a large Finnish colony. Thus, from the point of view of Finland and her economic interests, the Consulate General was of first rate importance.
The Finnish Government hope that the American Government will show a benevolent attitude towards the arrangements which will be necessary when the Legation in Washington takes over all the Finnish interests in the United States.”