861.00/5564: Telegram
The Commissioner at Helsingfors (Haynes) to the Secretary of State
[Received 10:41 p.m.]
487. Terrific pressure on Finland to intervene brought by French and English. Le Temps and London Times quoted daily in reactionary press of Helsingfors as Finland’s chance lost due to the loss of Entente’s respect. Mannerheim’s69 open letter from Paris to President Stahlberg urging intention [intervention] given widest publicity as well as Mannerheim’s report that Clemenceau had told him Åland would go to Finland if help was rendered Yudenitch. This country is determined, however, on the status quo. The Foreign Office will hand General Gulevitch reply to-morrow substance of which is Finland sympathizes and agrees to assist economically, but internal political and financial situation, with no guarantees by Entente or future Russian Government, prevent[s] it from responding favorably concerning military deliverance of Petrograd.
A pro-Russian French diplomat has informally suggested to Enckell, Finnish representative in Paris, that Finland ask France to act as arbitrator between Finland and reactionary Russian governments. This country looks upon such as a joke. France, seeing its newspaper Mannerheim-Enckell-Yudenitch-save-civilization [Page 736] propaganda pressure a failure, now proposes to finance equipment of Finnish volunteers against Petrograd. Such will probably meet the same failure as the secretly Mannerheim-managed Finnish volunteers’ expedition into Karelia some months ago. Am informed reliably Esthonia will again begin negotiations with the Bolsheviki November 9th.
- Gen. Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, former Regent of Finland.↩