Urgent

memo

т. Yuriev, Murmansk

Although Podvoisky is not here, and your note is addressed to Podvoisky1, nevertheless Lenin asked me to answer you and I am answering:

We advise you to accept the help of the British, without giving them agreement on minesweepers yet, and to drive the White Guards away at all costs. In our treaty with the Finnish Government it is stated that the strip known to you will be transferred to the Socialist Government on condition of observing the principle of self-determination2.

But now the situation is such (I mean the undoubted victory of the Senate) that there will be no Socialist Government in Finland3; besides, the population of the said strip, as you say, protests against the giving of the strip to the Finns.

Thus you have both formal and material grounds for recognizing the treaty as abrogated and for occupying the former frontier with border guards4.

You will realize, of course, that preliminary work on self-determination is necessary.

Podvoisky will be here in the evening and will talk to you about the project. I believe that the creation of a provincial sovdepartment could only please the Moscow comrades5.

Stalin.

Murmansk. April 9.

A note by A.M.Yuriev to Lenin

13 hours. April 10, 1918.

Tov. Lenin.

First. Yesterday morning's quite official telegram was addressed [to] the Sovnarkom, with only a copy to Podvoisky.

Second. Do your words: "we advise you to accept the help of the British" and "to drive out the White Guards by all means" mean to accept the military help of the British and French, expressed in sending their insignificant, however, detachment to help our Red Army?

Third. Is it possible to declare officially on behalf of the Sovnarkom to accept assistance in the defense of the middle and northern part of the Murmansk road from the Finnish White Guards?

We understand that perhaps you cannot say this officially. Then we will take the responsibility on ourselves and do it ourselves. But it is necessary for us here to be sure that our actions do not run counter to your plans. The exact expression of your approval will be kept secret.

Fourth. We are sending a special paper about minesweepers to the Marine Commissariat and the Arkhangelsk Centroflot and Sovdep, without which we will not, of course, solve the question.

13 hours and 30 minutes.

At the office, Mr. Stalin. Accept the answer:

Accept the help. About minesweepers to ask in those institutions about which you are talking, and from our side there are no obstacles. The combination should be completely unofficial. We consider this matter to be a military secret; you are as responsible for keeping the secret as we are.

It seems clear; if you are satisfied, the conversation is over.

Lenin.

Stalin.

Yuriev: I believe that we act not in contradiction with you, but independently.

Stalin: In addition, act absolutely secretly and more or less autonomously.

Yuryev: So we will ask the British and French to help the armed force to defend the middle part of the Murmansk road on our behalf.

Stalin: In addition, do not forget to move the border guards to the former borders in the west, considering that the strip given under the treaty, under the changed circumstances now remains with us.

Yuriev: What about the Russo-Finnish Commission? 6

Stalin: Send the Commission to the Council of People's Commissars, stating that we have not received any instructions from the latter in terms of giving up the strip.

Yuryev: Thank you for your pleasant message. Do not keep Podvoisky, send him as soon as possible.

Stalin: Goodbye, comrade. All the best.

Murmansk. April 107.

Fond 2, op. 1, d. 25617 - copy.

1A.M. Yuriev's note has not been found.

2See doc. 122, note 2.

3The Senate of Finland, which had seceded from Russia and gained independence after the October Revolution of 1917, was approved by the Seimas of Finland on November 26, 1917, with P. Svinhuvud at its head. As a result of the workers' revolution, power in Helsingfors, southern and part of central Finland passed to the socialist-oriented government - the Council of People's Commissioners. The Senate, which moved to Vassa, exercised power in the northern and most of the central parts of the country. During the suppression of the revolutionary movement with German help in early May 1918. The Senate regained control over the entire territory of Finland. Thus, the territory which the Soviet government had ceded to the Council of People's Commissioners was in the hands of the Svinhuvud government.

4The Murmansk Soviet failed to carry out Lenin's and Stalin's instruction to return the Pechenga district ceded to Finland under the treaty of March 1, 1918.

Finnish jurisdiction over this area was also confirmed by the treaty between the RSFSR and Finland in 1920.

5 On the establishment of the regional council there is the following resolution of the Council of People's Commissars of May 2, 1918: "To recognize as desirable the separation of Murman from Arkhangelsk and the creation of a regional council and to instruct the Commissariat of Internal Affairs to communicate on this issue with Kemya and Arkhangelsk.... and finalize this separation only after the Commissariat of Internal Affairs submits a report" (RCCHIDNI, f. 19, op. 1, d. 107).

6Probably, the commission on demarcation of the new border established by the treaty of March 1, 1918.

7See also docs. 120 и 122.