Office of the Historian

740.00119 European War 1939/2694

The Department of State to the British Embassy

Aide-Mémoire

The Department of State has considered the Aide-mémoire of June 5, 1944 from the British Embassy23 in which it is suggested, in view of the changed circumstances, that the question of the surrender terms for Finland be referred for discussion to the European Advisory Commission.24 It is noted that the British Government has requested the Soviet Government to provide the draft terms which would then become the basis for consideration by the European Advisory Commission.

In accordance with paragraph 3 of the Commission’s terms of reference,25 the American Government has no objection to this procedure and will instruct its representative26 on the Commission in this sense.

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In as much as the United States is not at war with Finland, it is not anticipated that the American representative on the Commission will participate actively in the formulation of the surrender terms for Finland. Consideration by the Commission, however, will provide a convenient method of keeping this Government informed of developments on this question.

Washington , June 8, 1944.
  1. Not printed.↩
  2. For correspondence regarding the participation by the United States in the work of the European Advisory Commission, see vol. i, pp. 1 ff.↩
  3. Annex 2 of the Secret Protocol of the Tripartite Conference of Foreign Ministers at Moscow, dated November 1, 1943, Foreign Relations, 1943, vol. i, p. 756.↩
  4. John G. Winant, Ambassador in the United Kingdom, was also United States Representative to the European Advisory Commission.↩