Cablegram 132 (extract) LONDON, 20 February 1940, 7.04 p.m.
FOR THE PRIME MINISTER MOST SECRET PERSONAL
(1) SCANDINAVIA. Proposed to inform Mannerheim [1] of proposals
(Dominions Office cables to Whiskard) [2] and approach Sweden and
Norway at an early date. Preparations being expedited here and in
France with a view to despatching forces immediately after, if
reaction satisfactory, but of this I have grave doubt.
1 Commander-in-Chief of Finnish Army.
2 A meeting of the Supreme War Council in Paris on 5 February 1940
decided that it was of the first importance to save Finland, which
was unlikely to hold out after spring without substantial
reinforcements. Because of the strategic difficulties involved in
landing a large Anglo-French force at the Finnish port of Petsamo
it was proposed to use a Norwegian port, provided that Norway and
Sweden agreed to the force crossing their territory. This would
also give the Allies control of the Swedish iron ore fields. (See
the following cablegrams from the U.K. Dominions Office to Sir
Geoffrey Whiskard, U.K. High Commissioner in Australia: Z2 of 3
February, Z4 of 8 February, Z5 of 14 February and Z[unnumbered] of
18 February. All cablegrams are on file AA: A1608, H41/1/2.)
[AA: A981, EUROPE 30, ii]
