Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1943, The British Commonwealth, Eastern Europe, the Far East, Volume III

760D.61/1665: Telegram

The Minister in Sweden (Johnson) to the Secretary of State

Stockholm, August 3, 1943—2 p.m.
[Received 2:54 p.m.]

2393. Last night McClintock and Cunningham⁵ saw First Secretary of Soviet Legation Vinogradov⁶ who, apparently in absence of Counselor Iartsev who is in Moscow for consultation, is keeping an eye on Finland for local Soviet Legation.

Vinogradov expressed view that it would be impossible for Finnish Government to conclude a separate peace with U.S.S.R. as long as German troops were in Finland; and that following departure of German forces it would be “very late” for Finland to reach a separate peace. However, he seemed to feel his Government would be willing to listen to Finnish peace proposals provided they came directly through contact established either here or in Washington.

Vinogradov expressed personal opinion that if Finland and Rumania did not shortly make peace with U.S.S.R. they would be overrun by Soviet forces and implied that this would mean engulfment of these two countries. He said no one could imagine numerical strength of Red Army at present time and thought it far in excess of the theoretical 10% of Soviet population. He implied that Red Army’s strength is in neighborhood of 30 million men.

Vinogradov said Mme. Kollontay’s⁷ condition has recently grown worse.

Johnson

5. H. Francis Cunningham, Jr., Third Secretary of Legation in Sweden.
6. Konstantin Fedorovich Vinogradov, First Secretary of the Soviet Legation in Sweden.
7. Alexandra Mikhailovna Kollontay, Soviet Minister to Sweden.