740.00119 EW/7–2645
The United States Representative in Finland ( Hamilton ) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 6.]
Sir: I have the honor to report that the Finnish press of July 18, 1945, announced the signing on July 17 of an agreement between Finland and the Soviet Union concerning reparations deliveries during the second reparations year (September 19, 1945, to September 18, 1946). Lauri Kivinen, Chairman of the Reparations Industries Authority (Soteva) signed for Finland and V. N. Gerasimov, head of the Soviet board in Helsinki which controls deliveries, signed for the Soviet Union. The agreement covers shipments to a total value of $50,082,000.
At the same time the Reparations Industries Authority announced to the press that a total of $36,600,000 worth of goods had been invoiced up to July 16, 1945. This amount included $21, 100,000 worth of consumption goods and $15,500,000 worth of capital goods. Invoicing takes place ten days after shipment.
The press of July 20 carried a release covering certain of the details of the agreement. A translation of this release is annexed.60
It will be noted that the percentage of metal goods to be delivered has been increased. Metal goods deliveries for the first year will be one to two million dollars below the established schedule. Four factories for the manufacture of prefabricated houses are to be delivered as well as a wood-meal factory and two plywood factories. All of these are to be complete with power stations and repair shops. The list of machines and appliances is considerably increased, including cigarette paper making machines, saws, railway equipment, electric motors, transformers, turbines, lathes, bridge cranes, centrifugal pumps, etc. Maritime equipment to be delivered includes sea-going tugs, steamships, fishing trawlers, docks, wooden boats, and wood and steel barges.
Respectfully yours,
- Not printed.↩