REPORT ON THE REPLY OF THE SOVIET GOVERNMENT ON TELEGRAM TO THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE OF LEAGUE OF NATIONS, J. CAEIRO DA MATTA
On December 13, 1939.
On December 12 the Commissariat for Foreign Affairs received from Geneva (Switzerland) the following telegram from M. de Matta, the chairman of Committee of the Assembly of League of Nations, about the Finnish question:
"The committee established by the Assembly, convened under Article 15 of the Charter, urgently appeals to the Government of the USSR and the Finnish government, urging them to cease hostilities and begin immediate negotiations through the Assembly to restore peace. Finland present at the Assembly accepts this. I would be grateful for the message if received tomorrow, Tuesday, whether the government of the USSR is ready to accept this call and will immediately stop military operations. José Caeiro da Matta, Chairman of the Committee".
On the same day - on December 12 V.M.Molotov, on behalf of the Soviet government answered de Matta with the following telegram:
"The government of the USSR thanks you, Mr. Chairman, for the kind invitation to take part in discussion about the Finnish question. The government of the USSR at the same time brings to your attention that it does not find it possible to accept this invitation on the basis which is stated in the telegram of the People's Commissariat for Foreign Affairs, from the December 4, sent in reply to inquiry of Mr. Avenol.
Molotov".
Foreign policy documents RF, f. 06, op. 1, p. 3, d. 23, p. 69.
«Izvestiya» No. 287 (7057) on 14th of Dec., 1939.
Source: [The highest party school at CPSU Central Committee.] Foreign policy of the USSR. Collection of documents. T. IV. No. 382.
Moscow — 1946. — Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. Documents of foreign policy. 1939. XXII:2. No. 857. Moscow: Mezhdunar. otnosheniya, 1992. Computer assisted draft translation by Pauli Kruhse.
Finland in the Soviet foreign policy 1939-1940