NO QUESTION OF SURRENDER

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20110, 2 December 1939, Page 5

NO QUESTION OF SURRENDER

AREAS OF HELSINKI IN FLAMES FEARS OF HEAVY LOSS OF LIFE PILGRIMAGE TO SNOW-COVERED WOODS SEVERAL SMALL TOWNS PARTLY RAZED RAIDERS USING NEW BALTIC BASES ■ (Elec. Tel. Copyright.—United Press Assn.) (Reed. Dee. 2, 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, Dec. 1. Messages from Helsinki indicate that serious loss of life, the dead being estimated to-day at up to 200. and extensive damage .to property has been caused by air raids which have accompanied the Russian invasion of Finland. Although information regarding the developments of the situation is scanty it would appear that the Finnish Government has been reformed on a wider basis under M. Rytc, tho governor of the Bank of Finland. The Finnish Legation in London stated that there was no question of Finnish surrender. It was claimed that the Russian advance had been stopped and there had been no landing from warships. A great squadron of Soviet bombers raided Helsinki at 1.15 p.m. The raid lasted for over an hour and a-half. Several planes were brought down. Smoke rising from various parts of the city indicated new fires. Many wooden buildings were destroyed in the working-class section. The buildings burned include the German Hindenburg school. Helsinki last night was a blaze of tires from the incendiary bombs which broke the total blackout. Twenty buildings were afire at midnight. All the trains were jammed and a vast pilgrimage on foot Avas in progress to the snow-eovered woods. The main railway station is croAvded Avith Avomen and children preparing to evacuate. Government Officials Remaining The town of Wiipuri is also burning in several parts and air-raid sirens sounded at Turku, Finland’s second largest city as the roar of high-flying planes Avas detected. The fires Avere still burning in Helsinki early this morning, but the Government officials remained. They stated that no decision had yet been made to evacuate the capital. The tOAvns of Turku and Lahti were aDo bombed, four persons being killed. Soviet planes partially destroyed several small Finnish towns above the Arctic Circle in the vicinity of the Norwegian frontier. The Helsinki correspondent of The Times says that all of yesterday’s air attacks on Helsinki were launched from the Soviet’s recently-acquired bases in Estonia and other States, notably from Paldiski, which is only 20 minutes by air from Helsinki.

A daughter of the Finnish Minister, M. Eccko, aged 17 years, was among those injured in yesterday’s raids.