HITCH REGRETTED

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 116, 13 November 1939, Page 8

HITCH REGRETTED

WAR OF NERVES

SUSPECTED RUSSIAN

DESIGNS

NEW YORK, November 11. » The Helsinki correspondent of the "New York Times," Mr. A. Marcus Toilet, states that for the third time within a month the Finnish delegation has advised Cabinet of a deadlock in the negotiations with Moscow. The hitch is regretted, because it was expected that the Finnish counterproposals submitted yesterday would afford firm ground for progress and give evidence of Finland's willingness to meet the Soviet demands as far as possible. It is conjectured that the Russians are insisting on a naval base at the entrance to the Gulf of Finland, probably at Hanko. Well-informed quarters are convinced that neither Cabinet nor Parliament will be willing to lease territory in this vicinity, which is vital, to Finland's independence. i The talks may also have broken down .over the Soviet demand for frontier revision, the Finns being loath to. surrender fortifications on which they have spent large sums, thus exposing themselves to the same fate as Czecho-Slovakia after the surrender of the fortified Sudetenland. If Russia, therefore, persists on this point, a settlement is unlikely. The belief is gaining ground that the Soviet is conducting a war /of the nerves designed to exhaust the patience of the! Finns and also their limited finances. Military preparations are costing tens of millions of marks daily and the evacuation of the cities and dislocation of industries have put a. strain on Finland's economy. A speedy agreement, therefore, is earnestly hoped for in Helsinki. NO SOVIET INVASION. According to the Moscow correspondent of the "New York Times," bMr. Gedye, a further meeting of the delegates is possible tomorrow. The atmosphere has been more cordial since the Finnish Finance Minister, M. Tanner, ahd M. Stalin started discussing old times. M. Stalin, when a refugee aged 26, was hunted by the Tsarist police'and fled to Finland, where he was sheltered and helped by M. Tanner. Clearly, the Soviet does not intend invasion whatever happens, but equally Finland will be eventually exhausted if the Soviet continues the present tension indefinitely. Doubtless the realisation that invasion is not intended has stiffened the Finnish attitude, while the Soviet is encouraged by the knowledge that Sweden and the other backers are urging Finland to settle on the best possible terms, though a real threat to Finland's independence would probably provoke the full support of Sweden ahd "Norway for Finland. The British United Press correspondent in Moscow says the official news agency declares that the Finns not only refuse the' Kremlin's "minimum proposals for expansion in the Baltic, but intensify their irreconcilability. The agency adds v that the increase of Finnish divisions on the Karelian isthmus from three to seven exemplifies this

M. Tanner telegraphed to Helsinki that he was unaware when the negotiations would be resumed.