740.00119 European War 1939/1980: Telegram
The Chargé in Finland (McClintock) to the Secretary of State
[Received 6:25 p.m.]
1293. I called on the Foreign Minister this morning to pay my respects before leaving for Stockholm tomorrow on courier trip mentioned in my 1234, November 4.46
Dr. Ramsay expressed regret at my transfer to Stockholm and said that although Cumming had told Procopé that it was “purely routine” the fact remained that I was being replaced by an officer junior in rank. He said that I “had occupied an important post from the Finnish point of view” and dwelt on my past experience here since before the Winter War. I replied that this was one of the reasons why it was perhaps better that I should depart, as neither I nor my Government regarded my position here as important and thus, with my departure, a false impression would be corrected. The Finns, with the exception of Dr. Ramsay, were, as he knew, prone to imagine that Minister Schoenfeld or even I could produce salvation out of a silk hat whereas in reality salvation for Finland depended on far more basic factors. Dr. Ramsay commented that I had “at least done a very good job from the American point of view”.
The Minister then said that possibly I had noticed a rumor about town to the effect that the Government in full session had recently voted to follow a more pro-German line (Cf. my 1283, November 1946). I said I had heard this report and also accounts of what counsel he and Ministers Kivimaki and Gripenberg had offered the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Diet. Dr. Ramsay did not attempt to deny that Kivimaki had urged the line reported in my 1271, November 1546 and 1274, November 16 but did say he could tell me that there was no word of truth in the rumor that the Government had decided to adopt a more pro-German policy. He said the Cabinet meeting of November 17 had been for discussion only and no formal vote had been taken. However, the consensus of the meeting was that Finland should adhere to the policy it had consistently followed since the outbreak of the present war and that “no new agreements with Germany should be entered into”.
I said I was glad to hear this, particularly in the light of my note of April 8 this year.
In response to my inquiry, the Minister said that the Germans had agreed to give Finland the 60,000 tons of grain mentioned in my 1266, [Page 308] November 1349 and that the first 32,000 tons were now on the way. Of the total shipment 50,000 tons would be rye and 10,000 wheat. Furthermore, the Germans were to send 8,000 tons of sugar. I asked if the Finns had met the very low price terms demanded by Minister Schnurre50 in the trade negotiations commenced but not concluded early this month (my 1253, November 1051). Dr. Ramsay gave no direct reply but said that Minister of Supply Osara would leave on November 25 for Berlin to sign the definitive agreement.
Dr. Ramsay said he had asked President Ryti yesterday if he might not tell me that, despite frequent “propaganda” claims to the contrary, the Finnish Army during the present war had never fired a shell at Leningrad nor dropped a bomb on that city. He said the President had caused a special investigation to be made following Russian radio claims of Finnish aggression on Leningrad and that the result had been as he stated. I said if he wished, I should be glad to report the President’s comment.
Although the factual account in my 1283, November 19 must be modified in view of the Foreign Minister’s statement that the Cabinet had not decided to follow a more pro-German line, I do not feel that the analysis set forth in that telegram requires amendment. When I asked the Foreign Minister if, after the Diet Foreign Affairs Committee made its recommendations, the Government would be compelled to follow those recommendations, Dr. Ramsay said that under the constitution the Government was not bound to do so. He said “They ask me to make the quickest possible peace. To them the important word is ‘quickest’. To me the important word is ‘possible’.”
- Not printed.↩
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- Karl Schnurre, Minister Extraordinary, head of a division in the Economic Policy Department of the German Foreign Ministry.↩
- Not printed; it reported that during November 3–9, 1943, talks were held in Helsinki between the Finnish Government and a German trade delegation, headed by Schnurre, and that the negotiations would be resumed later in Berlin where a protocol would be signed (660D.6231/159).↩