RELATIONS WITH FINLAND

Timaru Herald, Volume CL, Issue 22031, 2 August 1941, Page 5

RELATIONS WITH FINLAND

Text Of British Reply British Official Wireless (Rec. 7.30 p.m.) RUGBY, July 31. The Finnish Minister in London was received by the Permanent Undersecretary at the Foreign Office this afternoon, and was handed a copy of the reply which his Majesty’s Minister at Helsingfors has been Instructed to make to the recent Finnish Aide Memoire. The British reply is in the following terms:— “The British Government received with regret the Aide Memoire of the Finnish Government of July 28 announcing that the Finnish Goverment had come to the conclusion that the Finnish Legation in the united Kingdom should suspend functions for the time being, as normal diplomatic Intercourse between the two countries can hardly be maintained without complications. Far from this opinion beirig shared by his Majesty’s Government, as stated in the Aide Memoire, the latter, as recently as July 22, announced in the House of Lords that while the decision to continue diplomatic relations might at any time be reversed In the light of events, they decided at present to maintain diplomatic relations with Finland, altucugh she was engaged In hostilities against our Ally, the Soviet union, side by side with German troops, large bodies of whom were stationed on and were operating from Finnish soil. “The action recently taken against Finnish trade with trans-oceanic countries referred to in the Aide Memoire was taken by his Majesty’s Government as a result of the establishment in Finland of large bodies of German troops, and the consequent use of that country as a base for militaiy operations. In circumstances ft 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 Germany action, and constituted an integral part of our war measures against Germany. Since it was not aimed at the Finnish people, his Majesty’s Government did not consider it need render Impossible normal diplomatic Intercourse between the Finnish Government and his Majesty’s Government. “If the Finnish Government now carries out the intention expressed In the Aide Memoire, and withdraws the Finnish Legation from London, it follows that his Majest; ’s Government will be compelled bv the Finnish Government actin to withdraw his Majesty’s Legation from Helsingfors.’