740.0011 European War 1939/17184a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in Finland (Schoenfeld)
256. Please transmit secretly at the earliest possible moment a note verbale with the following wording to the Finnish Government:
“The American Minister presents his compliments to His Excellency the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland and at the request of his [Page 115] Britannic Majesty’s Government has the honor to transmit to the Finnish Government the attached communication from the British Government:
‘On November 28th His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom conveyed to Finnish Government through the United States Minister Helsinki, a message to the effect that unless by December 5th the Finnish Government had ceased military operations and had in practice withdrawn from all active participation in hostilities against U. S. S. R., His Majesty’s Government would have no choice but to declare existence of a state of war between the two countries. Since reply of Finnish Government makes it clear they have not complied with above conditions and do not intend immediately to do so a state of war will exist between the two countries as from 12:01 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time on December 7th.’”