STATUS OF THE CONFLICT BETWEEN FINLAND'S SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC AND COMMUNIST PARTIES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R001000580009-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 5, 1999
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: November 4, 1947
• Content Type: IR

a
CENT-L INTELLIGENCE GROUP
COUNTRY Finland/USSR
SUBJECT Status of the Conflict between Finland's
Social Democratic and Communist Parties
25X1A6a
ORIGIN
25X1X6
4NF0.
25X1A6a
DIST. 1947
PAGES 2
SUPPLEMENT
I, The gradual decline in the strength of the Finnish Communist Party, noticeable
since early 1947 and particularly evident in the results of the spring elections
to the Trade Unions Congress, is reported due Partly to labor's and the small-
holders' disappointment over the demagogic trend of the Communist activities, and
partly to the recovery of the Social Democratic Party. Following the Armistice
the Social Democratic Party was weakened by the conflict between the faction
which had urged peace with the USSR, led by men like Fagerholm and Kilpi, and the
more stubborn supporters of Tanner, During the current year, however, the Tanner
group under the leadership of now men has attained power in the party, and in
most cases the older opposition has given in for the sake of unity in the struggle
against the Communists,
2. The most influential Social Democratic politician at the present time is Vain*
Varjonen, the Party's Seoretary-- enerai, who is in his early thirties and holds
a Bachelor of Economics degree, He is considered intelligent, cynical, and
ruthless, nursing a deep hatred for the Communists,
3, The Social Democratic program of action consists for the present of two short--
range aims, namely, to save democratic institutions now threatened by the Co un-
ists, and to stabilize the economy, When the latter objective has been attained,
the party hopes for a continuation of social reforms and possibly soma extension
of economic controls,,
4, The Social Democratic Party has now built up an effective organization on the
Communist pattern to combat the influence of Communism in the Trade Unions,
Local Social Democratic leaders maintain continuous telephone contact with a
Trade Unions Committee of the Social Democratic Party and with the Trade Unions
,Federation, As soon as the Communists in auy luoality ifiov'e to undertake a s;:rlka
or mass moetine. the local Social Democratic leaders immediately obtain telephoned
instructions from party headquarters in Helsinki for ' counteraoting it. In more
important cases they also receive speakers or propaganda materials The party
headquarters also suonliee the thirt?en Social Democratic newspapers of Finland
with material for leading articles, in order to neutralize Communist propaganda,,
- b, A trv.al of strength between the two labor parties took place in connection with
the wildcat strikes staged by the Communists in August of the current year, At
that time the Trade Unions Committee of the social Democratic Party and the
25X1X6 Trade Unions Federation, also under Social Democratic leadership, succeeded in
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