740.00119 European War 1939/1963: Telegram
The Chargé in Finland (McClintock) to the Secretary of State
[Received 8:45 p.m.]
1274. 1. From an absolutely authentic source I have complete confirmation of report set forth in my 1271, yesterday40 of Ramsay’s exposition on foreign policy to the Diet Foreign Affairs Committee. A few highlights can be added:
Kivimaki was so vehement in his exhortation to follow the German line that at last the Agrarian leader and former Minister of Education, Hannula, asked him if it might not be better “if Minister Kivimaki looked after Finnish interests in Berlin rather than German interests in Helsinki”.
Gripenberg confined his remarks to speaking of Finnish relations with Sweden and Swedish foreign policy in general. His most noteworthy remark was that he “was glad that Sweden was now pursuing a policy of improving relations with the USSR”.
Ramsay prior to the last meeting of the Diet committee had a private confab with the Diet deputies of his own Swedish Peoples Party and gave them the same talk he had given the Foreign Affairs Committee. His colleagues took a vote and said that if he or the Government followed the pro-German line advocated by the Minister he could count on complete non-support from his party.
No resolution will be taken by the Foreign Affairs Committee on Ramsay’s statement pending a study by a five-man subcommittee and its recommendations. Three members of the subcommittee are Hackzell, who has been consistently pro-German, Osterholm, who is pro-United Nations, and Reinikka, Associate Minister of Finance, an Agrarian and a Karelian who is an opportunist. At this moment it appears likely that the sub-committee will return a report counselling caution and rejecting the idea of adopting a more pro-German policy. If the Foreign Affairs Committee as a whole adopts such a report and carries it either to the President or the Government, as is permitted under the constitution, it is held that Ramsay’s policy will be rejected by the Diet.
2. The Prime Minister is meeting tonight with the leaders of the various political parties. This meeting, however, may be in connection with foreign policy or it may have to do with the reported pending resignation of Fagerholm whose services are wanted by the State Alcohol Monopoly, one of whose key men has just been given an important military post. If Fagerholm goes he will, according to my [Page 305] information, be replaced by Aaltonen, Secretary of the Social Democratic Party who is hundred per cent Tanner’s man. It is urged in some quarters that the appointment of such a man in replacement of Fagerholm so soon after the latter’s pro-Norwegian and pro-Danish utterances will have an unfortunate effect as seeming to confirm what the Russians claim about the “Tanner clique” in Finland.
3. In this fairly murky atmosphere, except for the clear light of what policy Ramsay has urged the Foreign Affairs Committee to adopt, I intend, unless the Department instructs me otherwise, to imply that my sudden transfer to Stockholm41 may not be unconnected with Ramsay’s advocacy of playing up to the Germans. This would have the effect of forestalling the inevitable Finnish reaction “you are throwing us to the Russians” by a new variation “You are throwing yourselves at the Germans”.
- Not printed; it reported that Ramsay had told the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Finnish Diet that Finland was facing unconditional surrender to the United Nations, and that the nation’s only alternative was to follow a policy of stricter collaboration with Germany (740.00119 European War 1939/1961).↩
- The transfer of Chargé McClintock from Helsinki to another post, probably Stockholm, had been under consideration by the Department since September.↩