FINNISH FEELER

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 175, 27 July 1942, Page 3

FINNISH FEELER

APPEAL TO AMERICA Release Sought From Alliance With Germany United Press Association.—Copyright Rec. 9.30 a.m. NEW YORK, July 26. A feeler from Finland hinting strongly that the United States ought to help to release Finland from her predicament as an ally of Germany and to avoid a possible sacrifice to a victorious Russia was contained in a short-wave broadcast from Helsinki recorded in New York. The broadcast cited widespread editorial comment in Finland, which implied that the Press and the public approved of the ideas expressed. It is regarded as most significant that the programme was sent by beam wireless straight to the United States by directional radio. The broadcast asserted that if the United States would give Finland more exact information about her plans for the protection of small democracies such as Finland from a Bolshevik-dictated peace "the Finns would gain greater confidence." It was emphasised that in the past six months the Finnish armies had only been endeavouring to hold their lines against Russia and had not been making aggressive moves. The Finnish Minister in the United States made an official statement denying that Finland had discriminated against the American consular representatives, or that she had taken measures justifying the recent severance by the United States of consular relations. The statement quoted the newspaper Kansan Lehti, the organ of the Finnish Labour party, which expressed the hope that the action of the United States would not lead to a final breach in diplomatic relations. It added: "The fight we are waging is against Russia only to secure our own freedom."

On Julv 16 the State Department, Washington, announced that th e United States had closed its consular offices in Finland and had requested Finland to terminate its consular activities in the United States by August 1. The action was stated to have been taken because Finland denied American consular officers in Finland their treaty rights in connection with the representation of American interests. It was pointed out at the time that the action did not represent a break in diplomatic relations, although relations had been under increasing strain since Finland and the Soviet Union went to war.