Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1918, Russia, Volume II
FileNo.760d.62/–
The Chargé in Sweden (Whitehouse) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 14.]
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith to the Department, for its information, copies with translations of a secret agreement between Finland and Germany, dated March 7, 1918.
I have [etc.]
The German Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Von Stumm) to the Finnish Plenipotentiaries (Hjelt and Erich)
The undersigned has the honor to submit the following to Dr. Hjelt, Cabinet Minister, and Professor Dr. Erich, delegates of the Finnish government.
In order to prevent Germany from suffering through the reestablishment of internal order in Finland, brought about by German help, and the powers engaged in war against the former from deriving benefit therefrom, the Imperial German Government must lay stress on the fulfilment of the following wishes:
1. Finland is not to allow the powers engaged in war with Germany to take possession of Finnish railways or to establish themselves in Finnish harbors or coastal positions.
2. The Finnish government shall intern the naval forces of the powers engaged in war with Germany and her allies which may be or may arrive in Finnish waters.
3. The Finnish government declares itself willing to help the German naval forces by its pilotage system and the channel markings in Finnish waters.
4. Finland admits Germany’s right to establish bases anywhere on Finnish territory for the German naval forces during the period of military support.
5. The Finnish government is to prohibit the export and transfer to foreigners of Finnish merchant ships, shares in the same, and also the alienation of shares in shipping concerns until the restoration of general peace.
The Finnish government shall during the designated period place the chartering of Finnish merchant ships under its control and only permit it in strictly Finnish interests.
No exceptions are to be made regarding merchant vessels at present in the Baltic Sea.
6. The Finnish government shall allow the Finnish merchant vessels at present in the Baltic Set to navigate only this sea during the period mentioned in Paragraph 5. It furthermore declares its willingness to have enforced the restriction regarding this navigation which is necessitated by the German sea-war fare and which is to be agreed upon between it and the German Admiralty.
7. The Finnish government shall prohibit, during the period of military support, the granting of shore leave to the crews of foreign vessels lying in Finnish waters, unless they are Finnish subjects.
8. The Finnish government agrees to the establishment of a German control office at Torneå during the period of military support for the observation of enemy espionage.
Regarding the execution, reservation is made of the agreement between the two governments.
9. The Finnish government will see to it that the present supplies of the country as well as the further production of exportable goods will be utilized [Page 772] as far as possible for the benefit of Germany and her allies during the period mentioned in Paragraph 5. These supplies and products shall be used especially as payment for the war material delivered by Germany.
The Finnish government shall accordingly during the time mentioned issue and maintain export prohibitions, especially for rough and finished wood, wooden ships, cellulose, cardboard, paper, skins and hides, wool, flax, and other textile materials, tin, nickel, copper and copper alloys and other scarce metals as well as waste therefrom; also mineral oils, caoutchouc, and old rubber. Exceptions to these prohibitions may be made only with the consent of the German Government.
The German Government shall not refuse to make exceptions for wood, wooden ships, cellulose, cardboard, and paper in so far as export of these articles to the Scandinavian countries is concerned and the question of payment for war materials delivered is not involved.
On the other hand the German Government’s requests for permission of exportation to Germany or to her allies shall be granted to the greatest possible extent, in so far as consideration for Finland’s own requirements does not stand in the way.
While the undersigned awaits a favorable answer as to the Finnish government’s readiness to agree to the above-mentioned wishes, he also avails himself [etc.]
The Finnish Plenipotentiaries (Hjelt and Erich) to the German Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Von Stumm)
The undersigned have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the note of to-day, Foreign Office Fr. II 677, from the Honorable the Undersecretary of State in A[uswärtigen] A[mt] Mr. Von Stumm, and to declare that the Finnish government in every respect agrees to the Imperial German Government’s wishes as laid forth in Paragraphs 1 to 9, and necessary steps will immediately be taken for executing the same.
The undersigned avail themselves [etc.]
- Dr. Hjelt
- Dr. Erich
The Acting Chief of the Admiralty Staff of the German Navy (Von Below) to the German Naval Attaché at Stockholm
The enclosed treaty for your information.
Your attention is specially drawn to the fact that this secret treaty must not under any circumstances be made public.
The visa on the declaration of acknowledgment is to be given only when the agreement regarding export with the naval representative at Helsingfors, K[orvetten] Kapitän Reuter, is at hand.