740.00119 European War/2442
The Soviet Embassy to the Department of State
Memorandum
As it is known to the Government of the United States, the first meeting with the Finnish delegation was held on March 27 in Moscow about which information was already given in the memorandum handed on March 28 to United States Ambassador, Mr. Harriman.99
The second meeting was held on March 29th. At the first meeting, as well as at the second one, the Finnish delegation, which was interested in receiving the Soviet intepretation of the known six terms, on its part did not suggest any formulated terms.
[Page 586]In the course of the conversations, the Finnish delegates especially stressed the difficulties for Finland to carry out the internment of German troops stationed in Finland. Besides, the Finnish delegates particularly stressed the Finnish Government’s concern that the Soviet Union waive its rights, provided by the treaty of 1940, to the lease of Hango.
As a result of exchange of opinions the Soviet Government decided to introduce certain changes into the initial terms in respect to the demands to the Finnish Government regarding its measures concerning the German troops as well as in regard to Hango and has formulated its proposals for handing them to the Finnish Government, through the arrived Finnish delegates, in the following final edition:
“Soviet Proposals of Peace With Finland
- 1.
- Severance of relations with Germany and internment of German troops and vessels in Finland, or severance of relations with Germany and expulsion of German troops and vessels from the limits of Finland not later than by the end of April.
- In both cases the Soviet Government can assist Finland with its own armed forces.
- 2.
- Reestablishment of the Soviet-Finnish treaty of 1940 and withdrawal of Finnish troops to the border of 1940 to be carried out in successive phases during April.
- 3.
- Immediate return of Soviet and Allied prisoners of war as well as Soviet and Allied persons from among the civilian population being kept in concentration camps or used by the Finns for labor, and, if there will be signed between the U.S.S.R. and Finland not a treaty of armistice but a peace treaty the return of prisoners of war should be mutual.
- 4.
- Demobilization of 50 percent of the Finnish Army to be carried out during May, and putting the whole Finnish Army on a peace-time basis to be carried out during June and July. (This point should be included in the treaty or should be agreed upon in the form of a separate Soviet-Finnish agreement, subject to signing simultaneously with the peace treaty or the treaty of armistice.)
- 5.
- Compensation of damages caused by Finland to the Soviet Union by military actions and occupation of Soviet territory, in the amount of 600.000.000 American dollars, to be paid up during a five years’ period in goods (paper, cellulose, sea-going and river-going vessels, various machinery.)
- 6.
- Return to the Soviet Union of Petsamo and the Petsamo region, ceded voluntar[il]y by the Soviet Union to Finland in accordance with the peace treaties of 19201 and 1940.
- 7.
- On condition of acceptance by the Finnish side of the stated above six terms, the Soviet Government considers it possible to waive its rights to the lease of Hango and its region in favor of Finland without any compensation.”
- See Ambassador Harriman’s telegram of March 29 to President Roosevelt, p. 584.↩
- Article IV of the Treaty of Dorpat (Tartu) of October 14, 1920, between Finland and the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic, gave “for perpetuity” the territory of Petsamo (Pechenga) to Finland. For text of treaty, see League of Nations Treaty Series, vol. iii, p. 6. Also, see telegram 70, October 15, 1920, from Helsingfors, and note 206, March 11, 1921, from the Finnish Minister in the United States, Foreign Relations, 1920, vol, ii, pp. 256 and 257, respectively.↩