STAND BY FINNS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20112, 5 December 1939, Page 6

STAND BY FINNS

RUSSIAN THRUST REINFORCING TROOPS DEFENDERS’ HEROISM AERIAL SUCCESSES MOSCOW DISCLAIMER (Eli'c. T(>l. Copyright—United Press Assn.) CRecd. Dec. 5. 2 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 4. Finnish official circles report a diminution of the fighting against the Russian invasion owing to the continued snowstorms, but according to the Helsinki correspondent of the British United Press hostilities have not entirely ceased in the Arctic area, including the locality of Pet-sa-mo. ■ A Mr. Simcox, the Canadian manager of the nickel mines at Kalosgoki, near Salmijarvi, states that the Russians are landing 3000 reinforcements and are meditating an attack in the direction of Lauti, whence the whole of the civilian population has been evacuated, only soldiers remaining. These are intensely active along , the road from Petchengo to the Arctic ] port of Lainahamari, preparing to withstand the Russian advance. Three hundred to 400 Siwedes have joined up lor service with Finland. ITtwenty thousand Finnish soldiers hold the lines in north Finland. The | foremost line from Petsamo soulth- ; wards is slightly to the east of the so-called Arctic highway. Others are 30 miles farther west, closer to Norway and touching Salmajarvi. All are first-line troops with first-class equipment. Hand-to-hand Fight ; Dealing with stories of heroism from Petsamo, the Helsinki corres- | pondent of the British United Press recounts how Lieuienant Vuurima iKallela, a son. of the noted painter, :was killed while leading a small | patrol against the crew of a huge Soviet bomber which had been forced i down in eastern Finland. The Finns, j however, after a bitter hand-to-hand | conflict, killed every Russian airman. i Finnish airmen claim many successes. One reports killing 41 Rusj sian soldiers with single bursts of [ machine-gun bullets. Another airimam attacked a Russian squadron I single-handed and brought down one i machine and damaged others.

The Mayor of Helsinki says the evacuation has so far proceeded that further bombing will be a mere wanton destruction of buildings. To-day passed quietly.

A Moscow message quotes the Soviet journal Pravda, which states that Russia does not intend to seize territory belonging to Finland, Sweden, Norway, or Denmark, her only aim being to “liberate the Finns from oppressors and from the warmongers, namely Professor Cajander, M. Erkko, M. Tanner, and Field Marshal Mannerheim. It adds that the Red Army will leave Finland immediately the Government finds it necessary.

The British United Press correspondent at Moscow says, that Soviet airmen received orders on Friday not to bomb civilians. Pravda comments: “These orders were superfluous, because Soviet airmen are too humanitarian to fight unarmed people.”

Nikolai Virka, a correspondent of the Pravda from Karelia, asserts that land mines of British origin are everywhere. Authoritative circles in London deny the employment of British land mines in Finland.