Office of the Historian

196. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Finland0

Washington, November 25, 1958, 8:33 p.m.

228. For Ambassador. Careful consideration has been given to steps which might be taken in light prospects outlined urtel 2011 and subsequent messages. While we share your hope that assurances US sympathy and desire help may bolster Finnish will to resist Soviet pressures, we do not wish any US offer assistance to create situation in which US and USSR would appear engaged in economic struggle over Finland. Such situation in our view would not be in best interest US or Finland.

You are authorized your discretion and bearing in mind latter consideration to inform appropriate Finnish leaders on confidential basis we are prepared offer Finland limited economic assistance, if in their opinion such assistance would enable Finland withstand Soviet economic pressures to force change in composition Finnish government with result that USSR would renew trade on reasonable terms.

Exact nature and dimensions of assistance we might offer Finland have not been determined. For your guidance, however, it might consist of a combination of following elements:

a)
Sale of surplus agricultural commodities for local currency under PL 480 to replace certain imports from USSR;
b)
loan of US-owned foreign currencies for purchases in third countries of other essential commodities normally imported from USSR;
c)
sale on credit by US oil companies of crude and refined petroleum requirements (US oil companies have indicated willingness to extend credits if Dept so recommends);
d)
loan of finnmarks which would be generated under a) above;
e)
limited dollar loan assistance.

Report promptly any action you may take under this instruction and results thereof.

Dulles
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 460E.6141/11–658. Secret. Drafted by Mayer and Nelson and approved by Assistant Secretary of State Merchant, who signed for Dulles.↩
  2. Document 194.↩