(Released to the press on November 7, 1941)

[Department of State Bulletin, November 8, 1941.]

At the same time the Department of State released to the press the pertinent part of a memorandum of conversation prepared by the Secretary of State, Cordell Hull, immediately after his conversation with the Minister of Finland, Mr. Hjalmar J. Procopé, on October 3, 1941:

"The Minister of Finland called at my request. I proceeded at once to say that it was unnecessary to go over the pros and cons of the situation as the war relates to Finland and to the United States, or to the likes and dislikes of either Government with respect to Stalin and Hitler or their respective countries. I said that as heretofore stated by me to the Minister, I am glad to see Finland recover her lost territory. My Government, and country and I have been loyal friends of Finland and would like very much to see our fine relations continue, but even this consideration was beside the governing question just now. That question, which is of the greatest importance to my country without contemplating the slightest injustice to Finland and her best interests, relates to the future safety of the United States and of all peaceful countries in the world; that this Government, profoundly convinced as it is, that Hitler, practicing loathsome barbaric methods, is undertaking to conquer the earth; that in these circumstances my country is expending and is ready to expend 15 or 25 or 40 or 75, billions of dollars to aid in resisting and suppressing Hitler and Hitlerism; therefore, the one question uppermost in the mind of my Government with respect to Finland is whether Finland is going to be content to regain her lost territory and stop there, or whether she will undertake to go further, if she has not already done so, so that the logical effect of her course and action would be to project her on the side of Hitler into the general war between Germany and Russia and the other countries involved."