860D.4061 Motion Pictures/94: Telegram
The Chargé in Finland (McClintock) to the Secretary of State
[Received 2:04 p.m.]
410. Personal for Hugh Cumming.24 I should be most obliged if you would kindly ascertain what has happened to the question of raw motion picture film for use in Finland. I hesitate to send another official telegram to Department as we have sent so many without any appreciable effect. As my 252, February 1225—the last despairing cry on this question—indicated Department has gone on record here with “firm commitment” to supply minimum legitimate needs of Finnish film industry but thus far we have not made much promise [progress?] in honoring this commitment.
If raw film could be sent at this particular time when German Secretary of International Film Union is in Helsinki busily trying to establish a ban on American films it would be most opportune. I have reason to believe that we could break the pro-German Finnish Film Union if given raw film and I also can assure you that new American feature pictures will soon not be shown in this country if we do not have raw positive film with which to print copies.
I hope this does not sound too querulous but I have fought a very long fight with so far only verbal ammunition and if Department does not intend to follow through on this question I shall stop talking.
If whoever is entrusted with this question has the file in bottom of his box would you be kind enough to see that it gets to the top and is acted upon.26 Thanks and regards.
- Hugh S. Cumming, Jr., Assistant Chief of the Division of European Affairs.↩
- Not printed.↩
- The Department, in telegram No. 44. March 13, informed the Chargé that shipment of raw film had been delayed since August 1942 because of a lack of means to transship it, a problem which lay outside the Department’s control, and that film would be shipped “by first available means”. (860D.4061 Motion Pictures/94)↩