WOULD REJECT ULTIMATUM

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20068, 14 October 1939, Page 7

WOULD REJECT ULTIMATUM

PREPARING FOR EMERGENCY / ' ■' '' \ AWAITING FULL DEMANDS OF SOVIET RED ARMY ASSEMBLING ON BORDER SWEDISH HOPE TO AVOID CONFLICT V . ’*! J. • (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. October 13, 2.40 p.m.) . LONDON. October. 12. The Baltic situation is reported as unchanged. Diplomatic manoeuvres in Russia and Finland have not produced concrete although the Russian military activity is taki g * more ominous form. f V ;A Moscow message states that the United States Ambassador to-day conferred with M. Molotov, this giving crcaencc to the reports in some quarters that America may be maki g representations on behalf of Finland. 1 :ter j” s v Finnish delegation conferred'with M. Stalin and . Helsinki messages state that quarters in close contact with .the Government of Finland arc inclined to believe that tire Russian demands will be confined to three islands commanding the approaches to Kronstadt and Leningrad. This might oc regarded favourably if the compensation is adequate. The Finnish Government is determined flatly to. reject anything in the nature of an ultimatum. In the meantime the emergency preparations continue. The gulf ports, Helsinki, Hango Viburg, Burga and Kotka arc reported to have been dosed to Finnish shipping. More reservists have been called up and -virtual mobilisation has been completed. Troops are jjjtatioiVed at strategic points on the frontier. Air raid shelters i are being dug. L : Reconnoitring Red Planes . Squadrons of Soviet planes arc reconnoitring the Finnish coast. ’•* Red /Army troops continue to assemble on the frontiers. The Finnish Foreign Minister, M. Erkko, in a statement to-day, said that no demands bad yet been submitted. ‘ we have been asked to exchange views,” be added. “There is no reason to reject the request.” Because it is deemed “political” the German radio refused to relay the broadcast speech which M. Erkko was to have made to the United States of America to-morrow and the broadcast has been cancelled. A Stockholm message states that the Prime Minister of Sweden declared that he was convinced Sweden would be able to avoid an armed conflict, although all neutral countries must be on guard to protect their legitimate rights and vital interests. *