SOVIET OUTBURST

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 November 1939, Page 5

SOVIET OUTBURST

“PRAVDA” DENOUNCES FINLAND CHARGES ALSO AGAINST ALLIES. i POLAND AS PARALLEL CASE. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received This Day, 9.40 a.m.) MOSCOW, November 3. A radio morning bulletin lengthily quotes the “Pravda’s” declaration that M. Erkko followed up M. Molotov's speech with what in fact was an appeal to war against Russia. "Although common sense should have obliged the Finns to come to an arrangement with the Soviet, the paper adds, “some Finnish leaders do not want a treaty. A section of the Finnish Press is distorting the Soviet aims. Finland's precautions are only taken by countries preparing for war. M. Erkko delivered a direct threat against Russia. Colonel Beck recently spoke in the same spirit and by the same methods provoked war with Germany. The Powers on whom Finland is relying provoked the present war and tried to involve us. These same powers provoked Poland to march into war.”

DEFENCE LOAN

CONTRIBUTIONS EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS. (Received This Day. 9.5 a.m.) HELSINKI, November 3. Contributions to the defence loan of £2,380,000 are exceeding all expectations. “PRAVDA” ATTACK BROADCAST BY SOVIET STATIONS. CRITICISM OF SWEDEN. According to the latest reports regarding the negotiations between Finland and Russia, Daventry reports, the position has been made more difficult by an attack on Finland and Sweden by the official Soviet newspaper, “Pravda.” The article was also broadcast by Soviet stations. It asserted that M. Erkko was trying to provoke war against Russia in the same way as Colonel Beck had provoked war against Germany. It also criticised Swedish newspaper comment on the negotiations with Russia and said that Russia would send to the devil all the mainstays of political tricksters and would go on her own way. Official circles in Finland describe the assertions as a distortion of the facts and point out that Finland has no intention of using force except in defence.