740.00119 Control (Finland)/3–1745: Telegram

The United States Representative in Finland (Hamilton) to the Secretary of State

[Extract]

110. Re Department’s 38, March 13.35 Orlov has on a number of occasions stated that the function[s] of the Control Commission are solely to insure execution of the Armistice terms. There is some reason to believe, however, that members of the Commission do occasionally perform functions for their governments not within those terms as for instance Orlov’s statement to the Anglo-American correspondents (see our 12, January 22)36 upon the effect on Finn Soviet relations of a Finnish failure to eliminate the candidatures of the war culprits. There is also the apparent tendency (reported in my 97, February [March] 14)37 of the Commission to become the vehicle for exchanges between the Finn and Soviet Governments on matters outside the Armistice. Nonetheless there is no evidence that the ACC as such has taken any action vis-à-vis the Finnish Government or internal situation which cannot be more or less clearly justified under the Armistice terms, and as previously reported it is our feeling that we should not seek other forms of Commission controls and intervention in Finland than clearly provided for under the Armistice.

. . . . . . .

Repeated to London as 7, Stockholm 36, Moscow 34.

Hamilton
  1. Not printed.
  2. Not printed. Orlov told the correspondents that he was not pleased with the progress the Finns had made in eliminating war culprits from political life and he added that good relations between Finland and the Soviet Union were dependent upon the speed with which this was done (740.00119 Control (Finland)/1–2245).
  3. Not printed. In this telegram the United States Representative reported that Orlov had recently indicated to the Finnish Foreign Office, in connection with a number of commercial and other matters unrelated to the armistice, and hence not within the purview of the Allied Control Commission that discussions and negotiations could take place directly between him and the Finnish Government. The United States Representative added: “Foregoing developments apparently signify a trend toward resumption of direct relations between Finland and the U.S.S.R.” (740.00119 Control (Finland)/3–1445)