Volume 6 1939~1941


Doc No.
Date
Subject

No. 139 NAI DFA 2006/39

Confidential report from John W. Dulanty to Joseph P. Walshe (Dublin)
(No. 23) (Secret)

London, 20 March 1940

In conversation with Mr. Eden today we were talking of the rapidity with which event followed upon event, and I said something about the tragedy of Finland having even now almost receded into the chill historic past, or some such words.

Mr. Eden said he was not so sure of that and in the gravest confidence told me, for the information of the Taoiseach, that the Finns had asked the British to leave all the munitions which they had sent to that country. Now the British say they could do very well with every ounce of war material which was not now being used. They had consulted their military experts and in the result they had reluctantly consented to the Finns retaining these munitions.

I asked did that mean that the Finns were apprehensive about the integrity of the Russians in implementing the terms of the armistice. Mr. Eden said he thought there was a good deal of that in the minds of the Finns, but again stressing the confidence he said that the Finnish trouble might resurrect itself.