740.0011 European War 1939/31338
The Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs (Ramsay) to the Secretary of State 26
Finland greatly appreciates her present friendly relations with the United States of America, and for her part she is firmly decided to do [Page 298] everything in her power to maintain and develop these friendly relations.
If a landing of American troops in Northern Norway would cause military operations affecting Finnish territory, Finland, in conformity with her attitude as pointed out above, would not consider such operations as directed against Finnish troops. The Finnish Army would consequently abstain from any military operations against the United States of America, just as Finland expects that possible American military operations in Finnish territory would not be directed against Finnish troops or Finnish civilians.
As soon as such a landing would actually have taken place, Finland would immediately inform Germany that she is not going to fight the United States of America and simultaneously she would start negotiations for the purpose of the German troops being withdrawn from Finnish territory.
The possible military operations above referred to would probably lead to parts of Northern Finland being threatened by a Soviet Russian invasion. Under no conditions could Finland be a passive spectator of a Russian advance across her frontiers undertaken in connexion with these military operations, nor could she tolerate a previously agreed upon advance of Soviet troops into Finnish territory. The withdrawal of the German troops presupposes that they should be replaced by other military forces for the protection of the frontier between Northern Finland and Russia. Such other military forces could be provided only by the United States of America or possibly by Sweden after an agreement with Soviet-Russia that Northern Finland should in this way be neutralized or pacified.
Under above mentioned conditions Finland is thus ready to contribute to a peaceful neutralization or pacification of Northern Finland, provided always that this area as well as every part of it would be protected against a Russian penetration.
During the coming autumn months Finlands own reserves of food stuffs will gradually diminish. It can be estimated that after the 1st of December Finland would each month need from abroad the following quantities: 30.000 tons of wheat, 2.000 tons of fats, 4.000 tons of sugar.
In addition, certain consumption goods are needed such as clothes, shoes, textiles, lubricating oils as well as motor fuel for agricultural purposes and forestry work.
- Handed to the Minister in Sweden (Johnson) on September 10 by the Finnish Minister in Sweden (Gripenberg) and forwarded to the Secretary with covering letter of same date received September 21. Mr. Gripenberg stated that this communication was related to the Kennan-Pohjanpalo conversations in Lisbon (see footnote 16, p. 293).↩