NOTE TO FINLAND

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 2 August 1941, Page 5

NOTE TO FINLAND

USE OF COUNTRY AS NAZI BASE BRITAIN’S ATTITUDE Rugby, July 31. U The Finnish Minister to London, Dr ' Cripenberg, was received by the Peri manent Under-Secretary to the Foreign Office this afternoon and handed ( ' a copy of a reply which His Majesty’s ' Minister at Helsinki, Mr Vereker, has 1 been instructed to make to the recent ! Finnish aide memoire on relations with Britain. The British reply is in the following terms:— “The British Government received with regret the aide memoire of the Finnish Government of 28th July announcing that the Finnish Government has come to the conclusion that the Finnish legation in the United . Kingdom should suspend its functions for the time being, as normal diplo--I malic intercourse between the two countries can hardly be maintained .! without complications. "Far from this opinion being shared by His Majesty’s Government, it was as recently as 22nd July announced in the House of Lords that while the decision to continue diplomatic relations : might at any time be reversed n the j light of events the Government had : decided at present to maintain diplomatic relations with Finland. though she was engaged in hostilities against our ally the Soviet Union side by side with German troops, large bodies of | whom are stationed on and are operating from Finnish soil. BLOCKADE MEASURE , “The action recently taken against Finnish trade with transoceanic countries, referred to in the aide memoire. was taken by His Majesty’s Government as a result of the establishment in Finland of the large bodies of German troops and the consequent use of | that country as a base lor military operations. In these circumstances :t. was clearly impossible for the British Government to continue to allow goods to pass through the blockade and reach territory which must be considered largely under enemy control. “This measure was necessitated by the German action and constituted an 1 integral part of our war measures against Germany. Since it was not aimed at the Finnish people, His Majesty’s Government did not consider there was a need to render impossible normal diplomatic intercourse be-: ' tween the Finnish Government and i His Majesty’s Government. “If the Finnish Government now carries out the intention expressed in ! its aide memoire and withdraws the 1 Finnish legation from London it fol - lows that His Majesty’s Government 1 will be compelled by the Finnish Gov- ■ ernment’s action to withdraw His 1 Majesty’s Legation from Helsinki.”— 8.0. W. lIN NTS 11 STATE ME N T NATIONS AT PRESENT ON OPPOSITE SIDES London, July 31. : The Finland radio stated that the, break between Finland and Britain is I entirely due to external factors. Fin-; : land and Germany are both struggling | for the common cause against Russia. Britain is fighting against Germany.! Furthermore, Britain has concluded an 'alliance with Russia. Therefore, though there was no direct cause for the break, relations had to be severed. It j is hoped that relations will be resumed j