Foreign Relations of the United States, 1949, Eastern Europe; The Soviet Union, Volume V

860D.00/8–3149: Telegram

The Minister in Finland (Warren) to the Secretary of State

secret

Helsinki, August 31, 1949—7 p. m.

322. In lengthy conversation with Foreign Minister last night, Enckell reviewed political history of Finland in past thirty years to throw present situation into perspective and offer some basis for forecast. The country is not so well prepared now legalistically, he said, to deal with internal Communist problem as it was in 1923 when he was able to dissuade Lord Robert Cecil, and other proponents of guarantees for religious minorities in southeast Europe, from applying pressure to Finland as price entry into League Nations.¹

In his negotiations with Soviets 1945 peace treaty,² Enckell said he was [in] no bargaining position and had no outside support oppose Soviet demands that full guarantees for political minorities Finland be written into treaty. Said Bevin told him at time he was sympathetic but unable help. The guarantee when related to fact Soviet Union governed by Communist Party must impose Government of Finland additional responsibility when dealing as it is now with internal Communist problem. He said that all political groups except Communist Finland need to remember country must work out itself its own salvation which implies, among other things, most scrupulous performance of all legal obligations. The record he is convinced is good and he attributes his own practically continuous participation in Finnish public life for last fifty years as considerable influence maintaining that performance.

Then he went on to expound his confidence that Soviets are not prepared for war; that their threats against Tito³ fit into their pattern intimidation short of provoking conflict that he believes might have world-wide results.

With respect Finland he sees no signs extra-legal Soviet pressure provided Finns give no opening for it to be effective.⁴ He quoted from statements of Stalin and Molotov made on occasions between 1917 and 1948 expressing their approval and respect for Finns’ strict adherence legalistic obligations and expresses confidence that present leadership in Russia from its knowledge of Finnish people does not expect any revolutionary political action in this country.

Sent Department, repeated Moscow 101, Stockholm 21.

Warren

1. During the early 1920’s, Carl Enckell served variously as Finnish Foreign Minister, Minister in Paris, and Delegate to the League of Nations.
2. Presumably the reference here is to the Soviet-Finnish armistice agreement of September 19, 1944, which reestablished the Soviet-Finnish peace treaty of March 12, 1940. Enckell served as chairman of the Finnish armistice delegation.
3. For documentation on the attitude of the United States toward the conflict between Yugoslavia and Communist Information Bureau, see pp. 854 ff.
4. During the height of the Communist strike wave in Finland, telegram 272, August 18, from Helsinki, not printed, reported that the Legation had been informed by a high Finnish Foreign Ministry source in strictest confidence that on August 16 a flotilla of Soviet motor torpedo boats and patrol motorboats had passed through Finnish coastal waters near Helsinki on its way to the Soviet naval base at Porkkala. The naval movement, made without prior notice, was permissible under the terms of the Treaty of Peace with Finland of February 1947 (861.3360D/8–1849). Telegram 276, August 19, from Helsinki, not printed, reported that the Legation had been assured by Finnish Minister of Interior Aarre Simonen that the Soviet Union had brought no pressure, direct or indirect, on the Finnish Government in connection with the Communist strikes. The Finnish Government did not regard the movement of the Soviet naval flotilla as a demonstration but a normal relief operation (861.3360D/8–1949).