Memorandum by the Director of the Political Department
Berlin, June 17, 1940.
Pol. VI1703.
The Rumanian Minister, the Finnish Minister, and the Japanese
Counselor of Embassy asked me today with reference to their close
proximity to the Soviet Union for an opinion on the events in the
Baltic area.
I replied that we had had no advance knowledge of the events, nor
had we received any official communications on the progress of the
action. We considered the occurrences there as a matter in which we
had no part.
The Finnish Minister asked whether we had any information that
the same fate was in store for Finland, to which I replied in the
negative. M. Kivimäki remarked at this that, on the contrary, the
Soviet Union had of late frequently shown signs of a friendly disposi-
tion toward Finland. The Minister then asked outright what Finland was
to do if the Soviet Union made the same demands on her
and he added immediately that he did not think the Finnish Government
would capitulate as the Baltic Governments had done. I replied
that I was not in a position to make a statement to him on this.
Woermann
Source: Documents on German foreign policy 1918-1945, Series D, IX, Nr. 468.