760E.13/3–2350: Despatch
The Minister in Finland (Cabot) to
the Secretary of State
secret
No. 243
Helsinki, March 23,
1950.
I enclose herewith a memorandum of the conversation I had with Prime
Minister Kekkonen1 when I made
my call on him as required by Finnish protocol.
The Department will note that I spoke to Mr. Kekkonen with respect to the
statement that he made to the Tass representative regarding attacks in
the Finnish press on the Soviet Union. My point in doing this was to
stiffen the cabinet’s backbone and to discourage the flabbiness which I
fear this cabinet may show, as indicated in my telegram No. 140 of March
20.2 I do not, of course, anticipate
that the great majority of Finns will be taken in by Communist
propaganda, even if a distorted version of affairs is given them in the
Finnish press, and I doubt that the government would be willing to
change the tenor of the Finnish press in a markedly discriminatory
fashion or that it would be able to do so even if it were willing.
Nevertheless, there is reason to suppose that this government is
somewhat predisposed to appeasement and this tendency might be
accentuated by the hostile tone already adopted by Communist propaganda.
Moreover, I am a trifle disturbed at some of the blatant falsehoods
regarding the United States peddled to the Finnish public by the
Communist organs. Quite apart from the fact that some of the more
gullible Finns may believe them if they are sufficiently reiterated and
never rebutted, it must not be overlooked that they will be reprinted in
Communist organs in other countries where they may be more plausible. We
must
[Page 580]
obviously be cautious
about answering these Communist falsehoods ourselves, but I feel that
anything we can prudently do to get Finns to answer them, or to keep the
channels open for them to be answered, is a constructive
undertaking.
[Enclosure]
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Minister in Finland
(Cabot)
secret
Helsinki, March 23,
1950.
Subject: Initial Call on Finland’s New Prime
Minister
| Participants: |
His Excellency Urho Kaleva Kekkonen,
Prime Minister of Finland. |
|
Mr. Cabot |
I said to the Prime Minister that I greatly appreciated his courtesy
in receiving me today, since I was leaving for Rovaniemi tonight,
and naturally wished to pay my respects before my return. A few
minutes of pleasantry followed, and I then said that I would be
happy to discuss with him at any time that he so desired any
questions respecting Finland’s relations with the United States. The
Prime Minister expressed his appreciation. I then said that I
appreciated the delicacy of Finland’s position and that I would try
to do nothing which might make it more difficult. The Prime Minister
said that he was very happy to hear me say this, since he had
intended to make this point to me. I said that we had been very
happy to help Finland in her difficulties, but that realizing the
delicacy of her position, we wanted always to be sure that any help
was really helpful, and not harmful, from Finland’s viewpoint. The
Prime Minister said that he was glad that although we spoke
different languages, our thoughts were the same.
I said that there was one small matter which I would like to raise
with the Prime Minister. I had noted in the Finnish press his
statement to the Tass representative regarding attacks in the
Finnish press on the Soviet Union. I said that I deplored attacks on
other governments, particularly when they were unnecessary and
untruthful. I had noted, however, numerous attacks on the United
States in one section of the Finnish press. I emphasized that I had
no intention of asking that the Finnish authorities take any steps
to stop these attacks—we had a free press in the United States as
they had in Finland and it would be entirely contrary to our
tradition to make any such request. My only concern was that some
action might be taken by the Finnish authorities, as a result of
which one side of the story could be presented to the Finnish public
while the other side could not be. The Prime Minister made a note as
my remarks were being translated.
[Page 581]
He said that the Finnish press was indeed free
as ours was, and that the only action which the authorities could
take in any case was to use their moral influence. I reiterated that
I was not asking that anything be done to stop attacks on the United
States, but I did trust that nothing would be done by the Finnish
authorities which would result in the Finnish public getting a
distorted view. I mentioned that the Finnish Communist newspapers
were charging that the Prime Minister’s government had been formed
in accordance with American orders. I said that the Prime Minister
and I both knew how ridiculous this was. It seemed to me, however,
as much in Finland’s interest as that of the United States that the
Finnish public should know the facts. The Prime Minister said that
he agreed with me and that it was a very difficult problem of which
they were fully aware. I then, took my leave.
The Prime Minister was cordial throughout the interview. He impressed
me as a man of more character than I had expected.
