740.0011 European War 1939/27478: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Standley)
47. Our 27, January 13, Kuibyshev.61 Following are paragraphs 1 and 2 of Stockholm’s 285, January 25.61
- “1. In discussing Finland today Soderblom62 of Foreign Office said that Swedish Government had heard from its Minister in Kuibyshev that in recent conversation between Molotov and Czechoslovak Minister63 in Moscow, Molotov had indicated his desire to establish peace with Finland. Similar indication was given by Vyshinski64 to Turkish Minister in Kuibyshev.65 Swedes are very much concerned about Finland and watching coming election with great interest. Soderblom said Swedish Government naturally would not in any way attempt to influence internal politics in Finland but would certainly not look with disfavor upon election of Mannerheim. He mentioned a conversation which Mannerheim had had with Beck-Friis, new Swedish Minister in Helsinki recently in which latter questioned Marshal about his East Karelia order of day.66 Marshal is quoted as saying, “Did I really say that?” Soderblom believes Marshal has been sorry about it from very short time after order was issued. One advantage for Finland which Swedes believe would be gained by election of Mannerheim would be Hitler’s personal regard for Marshal which would make it very difficult for Hitler to bring himself to carry out a reprisal air attack on Finland should steps be taken toward peace and consequent break with Germany. Soderblom said that Wasastjerna67 had last week asked Swedish Government to [Page 228] take what steps it could toward improving relations between American Government and Finland and said that instructions had in fact been sent to Boström68 along those lines. Swedish Government is anxious that Finland’s relations with America be improved but Foreign Office believes that steps taken in Finland to this end have been “too obvious”.
- 2. Foreign Office here seems now to be convinced that Germany is suffering irreparable losses in East and that end of war is nearer than could have been imagined 4 months ago. They seem convinced also that Kharkov and Rostov will fall and that considerable areas of Ukraine will return to Russian hands this winter and that loss of any possible oil supplies from Maikop and agricultural products from Eastern Ukraine will be a critical blow to German war effort. Foreign Office is also convinced that Germans will be out of Tunisia before end of February.”
Following is Stockholm’s 286, January:
“In a conversation yesterday with Madame Kollontay69 Soviet Minister, she mentioned increasing anxiety in Swedish Government circles as to possible results for Finland of recent developments on German-Russian front. She said that a few days ago she had been requested informally by Swedish Government to suggest to Moscow advisability of making a public statement declaring that Russia had no aggressive intentions against Finland. She did not say whether suggestion was reported to Moscow but expressed opinion that it was impracticable for her Government to make such a statement at this time. In her view it is also impossible for Soviet Government at present to take any initiative toward separate peace with Finland, such a move is entirely up to Finland. She indicated, however, that Moscow would be receptive to such a suggestion and said that her Government had no desire to invade or to occupy Finland, that it would be prepared to stop at prewar frontiers and from that point start negotiations. I asked her if she meant by these frontiers those prior to or following the winter war and she said that there had been no indication from Moscow on that point.
Neither Stalin nor Molotov, Madame Kollontay said, had ever made any statement of policy which would indicate that Russia desires to annex Finland or impair its status as a sovereign state. She contrasted this attitude regarding Finland with official statements from Moscow regarding Baltic States and it was apparent from her remarks that she has belief Soviet Government will not retire from Estonia and Latvia after war.70 She spoke of an independent Poland as a fixed point in Russian post-war policy and added that in Russian point of view Poland must be a strong state.71 She made no mention of possible frontiers.”
- Not printed.↩
- Not printed.↩
- S. J. Soderblom, Chief of the Political Affairs Section of the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs.↩
- Zdenek Fierlinger, the Czechoslovak envoy to the Soviet Union, held the rank of Ambassador.↩
- Andrey Yanuarevich Vyshinsky, First Assistant People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union.↩
- Haydar Aktay, the Turkish envoy to the Soviet Union, held the rank of Ambassador.↩
- For a report on the Finnish Government’s views on an Order of the Day by Marshal Mannerheim respecting Eastern Karelia, see telegram No. 292, July 16, 1941, 1 p.m., from the Minister in Finland, Foreign Relations, 1941, vol. i, p. 48.↩
- Jarl A. Wasastjerna, Finnish Minister in Sweden.↩
- W. Boström, Swedish Minister in the United States.↩
- Alexandra Mikhailovna Kollontay, Soviet Minister in Sweden.↩
- See telegram No. 192, February 22, 4 p.m., from the Ambassador in the Soviet Union, and memorandum of February 23 by Charles E. Bohlen, of the Division of European Affairs, p. 506.↩
- See section entitled “Interest of the United States in the Polish Government in Exile, and in its relations with the Soviet Union,” pp. 314 ff.↩