740.00119 Control (Finland)/3–345: Telegram
The United States Representative in Finland (Hamilton) to the Secretary of State
[Received 1:30 p.m.]
73. In informal conversations with Foreign Minister Enckell and Associate Foreign Minister Svento on February 27 and March 1 they volunteered information that Finnish Government’s relations with Control Commission were good, that Control Commission acted in a correct way and that Finnish Government had no complaints to make. They thought peak of difficulties in connection with armistice agreement had passed and that difficulties in relations with Russia would gradually become less. I commented that the U.S. was allied with the Soviet Union and Great Britain, and was committed to collaboration in the war and in building a durable peace. While some Americans thought some years ago that cooperation with Soviet Union was not possible, the American people and Government now stood wholeheartedly for enduring cooperation with the Soviet Union. As a neighbor to the Soviet Union I thought it especially important that Finland develop good neighborly relations with the Soviet Union. Mr. Svento, to whom I made this remark, expressed agreement and said it was important to Finland and the whole world to have the United States, Great Britain and the Soviet Union work together in an association which would form a nucleus for peace in the world.
When I mentioned that there seemed to be very few Soviet troops in Finland, Mr. Svento said that there were some in points in the north. I referred to the situations in other countries, like Rumania and Bulgaria, and said I understood there were considerable numbers of Soviet troops there. Mr. Svento said this was so, that the Rumanian Minister24 had mentioned to him recently that a million Soviet troops had passed through Rumania, that the troops had been correct in their behavior, but their presence naturally placed a heavy [Page 606] burden on the country. Mr. Svento indicated that he appreciated that Finland did not have that kind of burden.
Repeated to Moscow as my 23.
- Reference is to the Rumanian Chargé, Jean Vardala.↩