860D.48/1–2745: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Secretary of Mission in Finland (Higgs)
10. Reference your telegram No. 20, January 27, 10 p.m. We have felt that our policy on relief for Finland should be cleared with the Soviets before any final decision on the matter is made. Accordingly, the Department recently inquired of the Embassy in Moscow27 regarding the Soviet attitude toward an eventual American relief program. Paraphrase of Moscow reply follows:28
Begin paraphrase. Because of relative obscurity that still surrounds Russian policy in Finland it is difficult for me to reply to your inquiry. To an unusual degree the control of affairs there, according to considerable evidence, has been left to the discretion of the chairman of the Control Commission.29 In comparison with policies [Page 640] pursued by the Soviets in other areas, Zhdanov’s policies appear to us as having been exceptionally considerate and moderate. I am not certain, however, how far this would overcome general Soviet inhibitions against travel and other activity in such territories, except in the most unavoidable circumstances.
I feel that the chances are good for eventual favorable action, but I think that requests for permission to carry on relief activities would best be directed initially to the Control Commission. If at a later time it should be necessary, I could always support here requests made in the first instance to the ACC30 in Finland. End of paraphrase.
Department suggests that you ascertain by discreet inquiry whether the Control Commission would be agreeable in principle to an American relief program of the type indicated in our No. 4, January 25.
- The Department’s inquiry was made in telegram 2782, December 4, 1944, to Moscow, not printed (860D.48/12–444).↩
- The reply was contained in telegram 4708, December 8, 1944, from Moscow, not printed (860D.48/12–844).↩
- Andrey Andreyevich Zhdanov, Chairman of the Allied Control Commission in Finland.↩
- Allied Control Commission.↩