124.60D/99a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Finland (McClintock)
72. 1. In view of the recent evidence of German domination of Finnish foreign policy, we have decided to withdraw our diplomatic representation from Finland and in pursuance of this decision you should deliver a memorandum to the Foreign Minister in the sense indicated in paragraph 4 below.
2. We should like to take this action as soon as possible, but if you feel it necessary to delay the delivery of the memorandum either to consult us on administrative details of the resulting situation or to give us your comments on the general basis of the action, you may do so for a reasonable period. Please cable urgently the date and if possible the hour you propose to deliver the memorandum.
[Page 271]3. We believe our instruction no. 333 of October 28, 194164 and subsequent instructions in the same connection adequately cover questions of turning over to the Swiss Legation, disposition of local employees, and related matters. As to you, we should prefer, if it is subsequently possible, to assign you to Stockholm for the time being to take charge of reporting from there on Finnish matters. If, however, for family or health reasons, you have a strong desire to return to the United States, we will give your desires most sympathetic consideration within the possibilities of future developments.
4. Substance of memorandum:
This Government was among the first to recognize the independence of Finland.65 The American people have long admired and have viewed most sympathetically the spirit in which the Finnish people have maintained their democratic institutions and preserved their national independence. It was in keeping with this sympathy that on repeated occasions during the past two years we intimated to the Finnish Government that in our view its policy of cooperation with Nazi Germany was bound to jeopardize Finnish freedom of action. The policy of the Finnish Government however has continued to be one of cooperation and collaboration with Germany and has inevitably resulted in a progressive German domination of Finnish action.
We have now been forced reluctantly to the conclusion that the freedom of action of the Finnish Government is reduced to such an extent as to make it impossible to continue diplomatic relations with Finland. Consequently the Finnish Government is informed that American diplomatic representation in Finland is being withdrawn.
The Swiss Government is being asked to take over our interests in Finland at once.
5. When you deliver the memorandum to Ramsay you should inform him that we intend to issue a release to the press containing the substance of the memorandum.
6. You should also inform the Foreign Minister that pending the departure of the Finnish Legation here we intend for the time being at least, provided you are given reciprocal treatment, to permit the Finnish Legation here to communicate in plain language directly with Helsinki on necessary matters and that we do not intend to impose further special restrictions upon their personal movements and local communications in this country.
7. After you have set the hour for delivery of the memorandum you should repeat to Stockholm paragraphs 1, 4, 5, and 6, above with our instructions to call upon Swedish Foreign Office at a suitable time [Page 272] not less than one hour after your scheduled appointment with Ramsay and apprise Swedish Government orally and in confidence of our action.
- Not printed.↩
- Finland declared its independence from Russia on December 6, 1917, which act was approved by the Soviet Russian Government on January 4, 1918. De facto recognition of the new Finnish Government by the United States was extended on May 7, 1919; an American Minister Plenipotentiary was appointed on May 24, 1919, and de jure recognition by the United States was acknowledged on January 12, 1920. See Foreign Relations, 1919, vol. ii, pp. 215, 219, and 220–227.↩