MILITARY AND NAVAL ACTIVITY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20108, 30 November 1939, Page 5

MILITARY AND NAVAL ACTIVITY

AMBASSADOR RECALLED TO MOSCOW PERIOD OF SUSPENSE FOR HELSINKI BERLIN APPROVES MOSCOW DEMANDS (Elec. Tel. Copyright.—United Press Assn.) (Reed. Nov. 30, 10.30 a.m) LONDON, Nov. 29. The Russian-Finnish situation has gravely deteriorated. The Soviet Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, M. Molotov, announced <j>ver the Moscow radio that Russia had broken off relations with Finland and had recalled her Ambassador. The Finnish Cabinet, which was summoned to an emergency meeting immediately the Russian note denouncing the non-aggression pact was received, rose at midnight. A communique stated: “The Finnish Government considered the new Soviet note to which it defined its attitude and handed over the reply to-day.” 1 The contents of the Finnish note are not revealed. Finnish patrols have been ordered to withdraw some distance from the frontier. Other despatches report great Russian military activity. The Moscow journal Pravda states that the personnel of the Soviet Baltic Fleet is being greatly reinforced. A message from Copenhagen says it is reported from Leningrad that General Metetschkov, commander of the’ Leningrad district, has ordered the air force, troops and naval forces in the new Baltic bases to maintain a state of preparedness. All leave has been summarily cancelled. Great activity is reported from five large airfields in western Russia and also at the Baltic bases. Army Mobilisation Believed. An unconfirmed report states that t he general mobilisation of the Finnish Army has been ordered. Towns have been blacked-out. The spokesman of the Finnish Foreign Office said: “The situation is most critical. The next few days may be decisive. There are no longer any obstacles against the Russians coming over our frontiers.” While again denying Finnish trespass on Soviet soil an official communique issued in Helsinki .states that, a patrol of six Finnish soldiers sent to investigate a “mysterious noise” at Petsamo on Tuesday, failed to return. The Moscow correspondent of The Times says.that in a Soviet radio broadcast, it was alleged that five Finnish soldiers crossed the frontier and fired on a Soviet detachment. The Soviet troops replied, killing two and took prisoner three. The broadcast also asserted that Finnish artillery fired 100 shells at another point, some falling in Soviet, territory, after which a Finnish detachment attempted to cross the frontier, but retreated in the face of machine-gun fi.ro. Russian Radio Report Denied.

A report, from Helsinki says that the Finnish military authorities denied the Russian radio report that Finnish soldiers attempted to cross the Soviet frontier. The radio at Moscow abandoned the usual musical programme to describe the angry mass meetings held throughout the Soviet after the denunciation of the Kusso-Finnish non-aggression pact. The announcer read resolutions passed by factory workers, garrison soldiers and others describing the Finns as “dirty dogs,” “clowns,” and even more expressive and insulting names.

According to a report from Rotterdam it is officially announced front Berlin that Germany identifies herself completely with the Russian demands on Finland, but she does not intend to interfere in the dispute in any way.