711.60D/82
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Under Secretary of State (Welles)15
The Minister of Sweden16 called to see me this afternoon at his request.
The Minister said that his Government was deeply disturbed by the action of the Government of the United States in withdrawing its consuls from Finnish territory and in requesting the withdrawal of Finnish consuls from United States territory, not because of the intrinsic action taken, but because of the belief of the Swedish Government [Page 75] that this step was merely a forerunner of the severance of diplomatic relations and a possible declaration of war against Finland.
I explained to the Minister the situation as it had developed during the past year and the technical grounds upon which our recent action had been based. I made it plain that this Government had informed the Finnish Government that the continued and increasing use of Finnish territory by German forces was inevitably creating an increasingly critical situation in the relations between our two countries and that this Government had repeatedly informed the Finnish Government that should the Finnish Government itself undertake anything in the nature of offensive action against the Soviet Union, the present relationship between Finland and the United States could not possibly be maintained. I said that this Government had further made it clear that the continuation of relations between the two countries depended very largely upon Finland herself and that it was with deep regret that this Government had seen recent evidences which led it to believe that the Government of Finland was operating increasingly under German pressure and upon German instigation.
I said that the Minister knew very well the importance to the United States of insuring the safe arrival in Soviet ports of matériel which the United States was making available to the Soviet Government and that the use of Finnish territory by the Germans in order to attempt to prevent the safe arrival of such supplies was creating more and more opposition on the part of American public opinion towards a continuation of apparently normal relations between Finland and the United States. I said that while it was the desire of this Government to maintain its traditional and close friendship with the people of Finland, the attitude and policy of the present Finnish Government was unquestionably making this more and more difficult.
The Minister specifically asked whether the closing of the consulates was to be interpreted as a forerunner of the severance of diplomatic relations. I replied that no decision on that question had been reached by this Government and that consequently the Swedish Government need not draw that conclusion from the recent action taken by the United States. I added, however, that I would not be frank with him if I did not emphasize the fact that I believed the situation was deteriorating and that it might not be possible, if Finland continued to permit the exercise by Germany of increasing influence both military and political within Finland, to continue the relationship which had existed up to now.