Office of the Historian

740.00119 European War 1939/2609: Telegram

The Chargé in Finland (Gullion) to the Secretary of State

Helsinki, May 15, 1944—5 p.m.
[Received May 16—8:52 a.m.]

392. 1. On Sunday May 14, before leaving Stockholm for Helsinki I talked with Vinogradov, First Secretary of Soviet Legation in Stockholm.

2. He made three observations which may be of some interest to Department:

a.
During negotiations in Moscow in March M. Dekanozov told Mr. Paasikivi that if Finns did not desire Russian assistance in expelling German troops they were free to call on American or even British troops also or [sic] instead of Red Army. (I have not heard from any other source that such assurance was given and do not know how well informed my Russian colleague is.)
b.
He claimed also that “the Swedes” had told Russians in Sweden that a new approach by Finns might be expected. He was eager to hear from me when such an effort might be made and I could only tell him that I had no information that any approach was planned, but that I did not exclude the possibility.
c.
In studying causes of failure of peace negotiations Russians in Stockholm were agreed on three principal explanations: First, extreme German pressure including virtual German ultimatum which he claimed had been delivered; second, Finnish feeling that indemnity payments were too heavy; third, longstanding pro-German orientation of Finnish thought.

I do not know how reliable Vinogradov’s observations may be. He appears to speak English somewhat better than he understands it. Stockholm may be able to give better idea of his reliability.

To Stockholm as my 98.

Gullion