860D.00/1–2845: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Secretary of Mission in Finland (Higgs)
11. Your 23, January 28; 24, January 29;16 and 25, January 30. The suggestion that the United States mission in Finland should [Page 603] strengthen the hand of Prime Minister Paasikivi by indicating that the American Government feels that the candidacies of the so-called “war politicians” in the March elections should be withdrawn in the interest of better Soviet-Finnish relations is not regarded as within the limited purview of our mission.
During the years Finland was at war, this Government repeatedly warned Finland of the consequences of its continued collaboration with Germany and we feel that it would be most unfortunate for the Finns again to place their confidence in the men who were primarily responsible for Finland’s disastrous war policy. It is believed that at this time, however, any intervention in this matter is properly the concern of the British and Soviet Governments as cosignatories of the Armistice Agreement, to which the United States is not a party.17
Repeated to Moscow as Department’s 232, and to Stockholm as Department’s 198.
- Telegram 24 not printed.↩
- In a memorandum of February 1, 1945, to Assistant Secretary of State James C. Dunn, the Assistant Chief of the Division of Northern European Affairs, John H. Morgan, observed: “While this telegram directs our mission at Helsinki not to intervene in the matter, it is believed that Mr. Higgs, in whose intelligence NOE [the Division of Northern European Affairs] has great confidence, will probably find the opportunity in such informal conversations as he may have with Finnish officials to indicate our general views concerning the ‘war politicians’ without directly involving the Mission.” (860d.00/1–2345)↩