STALIN MESSAGES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20129, 26 December 1939, Page 5

STALIN MESSAGES

LEADERS OF NAZIS FRIENDSHIP OF BLOOD “OPPRESSED” FINLAND WISHES FOR VICTORY GREETINGS TO CHIANG (F.lpn, ■rel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. Dee. 26, 9 a.m.) NEW YORK, Dec. 25. The Moscow correspondent of the New York Times, Mr. G. E. R. Gedye, says that the birthday greeting sent to M. Stalin by Herr Hitler and the Nazi Foreign Minister, Herr Von Ribbentrop, were published three days late. M. Stalin, in acknowledging the birthday congratulations, sent the following message to Herr von Ribbentrop: “I have every reason to hope that the friendship between the peoples ol Germany and Russia, cemented by blood, will be lasting and firm.” M. Stalin also sent messages to Herr Hitler, the leader of the Slovak People’s Party, Dr. Tiso, the Turkish Foreign Minister, Saracoglu Bey, and the leader of the “puppet” Government of Finland, M. Otto Kussimen (hitherto reported arrested), to whom he said he wished the Finnish people “an early and complete victory over the oppressors, the Mannerheim-Tanner gang.” M. Stalin also sent a message to Marshal Chiang Kai-Shek, for whom he wished “complete victory over the enemies of China.” The Moscow radio announces that the crowds began to line up at the polling booths at 6 a.m. for the elections of local Soviets in which M. Stalin heads the official list of candidates. Describing M. Stalin as the “greatest man of our time,” the Russian announcer declared that 183,000,000 people were in a particularly joyful and festive mood on account of the elections which were the “freest in the world.”