Finland Stood in Way of Russia

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 306, 28 December 1939, Page 7

Finland Stood in Way of Russia

HOBTH SEA BORDERS ARE HER AIMS (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, Dec. 26. In a broadcast from London, the Finnish Minister, Mr Gripenberg, ■tv, an account of the Kueelen eggreeelon uguiust his country. In the early hoars of November 30, be ••id, Soviet bombers, without any warning, swooped down, dropping bombs on 14 Finnish ellies and diving to machine-gun the fleeing civilian population. That day and the following they returned and left over 360 dead and wounded, mostly women and children. On November 30 the Soviet fleet also bombarded Finnish coastal towns, and at the same time Soviet soldiers crossed her frontiers. j **Thus, overnight, like a sudden burst t thunder, began the fighting in Find, which has now been going on for more than three weeks,’’ he said. “On Christmas Day hundreds of Russian bombers came swarming over the towns and hamlets of my country. Quiet, peaceful homes in suburbs, where Christmas trees decorated living-rooms and children were playing with toys, pow lie in smoking ruins. “Why did the Soviet attack us? It was •imply that Finland stood in the w cf pf Russia's present aims. Finland as a

free and independent nation must disappear from the map. She must become B vassal State of the Soviet Union, so plat tile Russian borders might be strengthened out to Norway, Sweden and the Baltic, and perhaps later on to the North Sea.” Mr Gripenberg said that in spite oi the fact that Finland had acceded tc two-thirds of the Russian demands and expressed willingness to enter further discussion, yet the Soviet Government had decided on war. That was why it was necessary for Finland to meet force with force. The Finnish Minister concluded: ‘Tr this grim Struggle against tremendous odds the people of Finland are strengthened in the knowledge that the y h *ve the sympathy of the whole civilised world. They know in their hearts that their cause i 3 the cause oi all people who love freedom, whose ideals are those of religious civilisation and who believe in the human destiny of mankind. My people have been stirred by expressions of sympathy from all quarters in Britain and the Empire, and I am empowered to offer the grateful thanks of my country "