103.9166/1004: Telegram
The Minister in Finland (Schoenfeld) to the Secretary of State
[Received 7:46 p.m.]
1039. The following may likewise be of interest to Office of War Information.
When I visited Minister for Foreign Affairs this morning to inquire as to reasons why Finnish authorities had refused to approve for publication proofs of proposed weekly bulletin prepared by Press Section of our Legation at Stockholm in Finnish language with illustrations regarding American war effort Witting said it was policy of Finnish Government to keep such propaganda at minimum. When I pointed out that virulent Axis propaganda including entire book attacking United States was abundant here he said it was less abundant than it would be if Axis were allowed free hand and that though line of demarcation between what might be published and what might not could not be easily defined and we might differ as to where it should be drawn such line nevertheless existed. He confirmed refusal of authorities to permit us to publish proposed weekly on American war effort.
He called my attention to item in our news bulletin for October 24, as prepared by Legation at Stockholm quoting American commentator to effect that Finland had refused peace offer. He complained that [Page 92] this statement appearing under masthead of this Legation which he said was not in accordance with facts should have been circulated here by us. I pointed out that statement was not made by Legation but he nevertheless objected.
Incidents herein reported illustrate practical impossibility of presenting in print either American war scene or American political standpoint in Finland as well as fact that discrimination in favor of Axis propaganda not only exists but cannot be eliminated under present conditions.48
Department and Office of War Information may wish to consider whether daily bulletin of Finnish Information Center, New York, should be suppressed although thus far our daily news bulletin in English continues to be distributed here to selected list of some 500 addressees with occasional suppression by the Finnish authorities.
- Mr. Higgs of the Division of European Affairs discussed the substance of this telegram with Mr. Toivola, the Counselor of the Finnish Legation, on October 30, and remarked that “the position taken by the Foreign Minister in regard to this matter indicated rather clearly that the Finnish Government did not intend to permit us to make our position in the war clear to the Finnish people.” The Counselor personally regretted that “his government had found it necessary to take that action.” (103.9166/2071)↩