Evening star., 1941-11-13
New Peace Efforts
Hinted as Procope
Talks With We||es
Finnish Minister
Silent on Reports
Of Truce Moves
Bv the Associated Press.

Bv the Associated Press.
The Finnish Minister called At
the State Department today. while
word spread in diplomatic circles
that the United States and Great
Britain might renew their efforts 10
end Finnish Russian hoStilities.
The visit of the Minister. Hjalmar
J. Procope. to Undersecretary of
State Wells followed closely on the
delivery of the Finnish govern
mentS note rejecting a Soviet offer
to negotiate peace with Finland.
which was transmitted to the Firms
by the United States.
Mr.. Procope refused to make any
comment except to say he expected
to talk" about the situation with
Mr.. Welles.
The informed belief here was that
the Helsinki government had left
the diplomatic door open for further
discussions along such lines.
American officials were non-com-
mitta. on the subject pending a
thorough study of the note, which
set forth the Firms position and
their insistence upon guaranteed
security for their little republic.
Secretary Hull gave the only hint
of possible future action when he
voiced the hope yesterday that an
analysis would disclose that Fin
land was not irrevocably committed
to cola boration with Nazi Germany.
In diplomatic quarters much sig
nif1cance was attached to the con-
cluding portion of the Finnish note,
which stated:
The supreme task which provi-
dence at the present juncture has
assigned the United States for the
remedying of prevailing conditions
and insuring the existence of mil
lions of human beings, would be
achievement of permanent state of
law between nations that would en-
able also a small nation to feel its
existence secure"
Again and again the necessity of
guaranteed future security for
Finland was emphasized in the note,
made public late yesterday by Mr..
Procope.
Finland" the note said, lis de-
Sirous of terminating the struggle
as soon as the danger threatening
her existence has been averted and
guarantees created for continuous
security" However, any cessa ton in
the fighting was unacceptable if it
was TO be merely an interlude in
Finland'S "incessant self-defense
against Russia's) imperialistic
strivings."
The note reminded Americans
that Finland had been subjected on
two separate occasions, within the
space of less than two years. to un-
justified armed attacks on the part
of the mighty Bolshevist terrorist
state"
During the course of earlier con-
versations between Undersecretary
Welles and Mr.. Procope. another Sec
tion of the note asserted, the grave
doubts of Finland. based on many
bitter experiences regarding the trust
that can be reposed in promises given
by the Soviet Union, were explained
to the Government of the United
States" (The Russians had indi-
Gated readiness to make territorial
conceSSions)
The United States. the note added
mad not offered any guarantees of
security "as pledge of a new peace
between Finland and the Soviet Un-
ion"
Reply 10 u. 5. Overtures.
A State Department memoran-
dunn on the Welles- -Procope talks.
made public last Friday. disclosed
that the United States held that the
question OF guarantees would arise
only lin the event that the govern
ment of Finland desired to explore"
peace possibilities.
The Finnish note was in answer to
diplomatic overtures by the United
States during the last three months
to end the Finnish-Russian war.
The United States took the posi-
ton that, now that Finland has re-
gained territory previously lost to
Russia. continued fighting can only
(see FTNNs. Page A-4D