PURE AGGRESSION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 December 1939, Page 5

PURE AGGRESSION

DENOUNCED BY FINNISH MINISTER PEACEFUL SOLUTION SOUGHT TO LAST. AN INTERRUPTED MESSAGE. By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright. (Received This Day, 11 a.m.) COPENHAGEN, November 30. With his sentences punctuated by the sound of bombs and the screaming of sirens, the Helsinki correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain telephoned an interview with M Erkko, in which the Foreign Minister branded the invasion as “the purest aggression imaginable.” He added: “We had shown a willingness to find a peaceful solution to the last. Russia gives the pretext that we invaded Soviet territory. We have done nothing of the kind. The fact that our border troops were standing by for a possible Russian attack has been justified by today's events. Russia had no, right to denounce the Non-Aggression Pact. According to the Treaty of Conciliation she should —” Here the telephone message was cut off. DEFENSIVE STAND FINNS WITHDRAW FROM FRONTIER. RUSSIAN INTENTIONS NOT KNOWN. (Received This Day, 10 a.m.) LONDON, November 30. The British United Press Helsinki correspondent says Finnish troops withdrew their chief defence lines 25 miles from the frontier, resulting in the advancing Russians finding only a no man’s land. The British United Press Helsinki correspondent says the Russians are reported to have attempted to land at Hanko but it is not known whether they were successful. The Finnish forces are remaining on the defensive thus far and have not attacked, although there are no signs of retreat anywhere. It is not known whether the Russian attacks are simply designed to cover the seizure of the disputed territories, after which there will be an offer of a negotiated peace, or whether Russia is determined to break Finland's defences. The citizens of Helsinki calmly returned .to work after the second air raid and the shops reopened. HUNDREDS KILLED IN RAID ON HELSINKI. UNOFFICIAL ESTIMATE. (Received This Day, 10 a.m.) HELSINKI. November 30. It is unofficially estimated that several hundred persons were killed or wounded in a fifteen-minute raid at 2.45 p.m.