Wairarapa Times-Age MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1939. FIGHTING TO THE LAST.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 December 1939, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1939. FIGHTING TO THE LAST.

THOUGH the Finns are reported to have gained some immediate success in their gallant stand against the Russians, there is every reason to Tear that they will find themselves engaged literally in a tight to the death. In view of the enormous resources Russia is able to bring to bear, Finland is bound to be overwhelmed if the war is loreed to a military decision. The only visible hope, and it is slender, is that the Soviet may yet be induced, by the heroic resistance of the Finns and any diplomatic influence the Allies ami tin' United States are able to bring to bear, to agree to a negotiated peace.

For the time being, however, the Soviet evidently is intent upon pursuing remorselessly its policy of aggression. This appears not only in the ruthlessness of the attack' on Finland, but in the fact that simultaneously, or almost so. with the formation of a Finnish National Government, a rival puppet Government has been set up by the Soviet in a captured FinniMi town. Obviously the essential purpose of this political special creation is to supplement what has been and is being accomplished by military and naval attacks and by the pitiless bombing of Finnish towns and cities. Although Soviet protestations of an intention to respect the independent sovereignty of Finland have hardly yet died away on the ether, the establishment of the puppet administration affords plain proof of a determination that Finland shall be ruled by obedient agents of the Soviet..

Treacherous and crudely blatant as the Soviet action is in this matter, it unfortunately cannot be taken for granted that it will fail. It counts initially for a great deal that the puppet Government is assured of decisive military support. As might have been expected, it has hastened to proclaim its desire Io live at peace with the Soviet, “whose glorious and invincible army it welcomes because the intervention of the Soviet corresponds with vital Finnish interests.” Account has to be taken also, however, of elements of weakness in Finland which make her vulnerable to the form of political attack the Soviet has devised.

Bravely as they have rallied against the Russians, the Finns are hardly yet in the state of complete unity claimed for them the other day by their representative in London. It is only twenty-two years since the people of Finland, divided into White and Red factions, supported respectively by Germany and by Russia, fought a savage civil war, which ended in complete victory for the Whites. A Fascist rising occurred, and was suppressed, approximately a decade ago. Bitter feeling left by these conflicts has not wholly died away. On the whole, however, Finland has made splendid strides in liberal and democratic progress. Summing up the position reached, a British inquirer, Sir E. I). Simon, wrote recently:

Experienced public men of different parties (in Finland) with whom I discussed the matter were of opinion that Finland was firmly set on the path of democracy, and that if she could be left alone for the next ten years, secure both from foreign aggression and from too much foreign propaganda, it could be regarded as a reasonable certainty that old hatreds would be more and more forgotten, and that Finland would steadily work towards a really progressive and tolerant democracy.

These bright hopes, unhappily, have now been swept away and there is every reason to fear that the illegitimate and discreditable political, weapon forged by the Soviet may do even more deadly work than bombing planes, tanks -and warships in destroying the Finnish democracy.

With her principal political parties tending more and more to co-operate, in the brief period vouchsafed to her for constructive effort, Finland has made what must in the circumstances be regarded as highly creditable progress in dealing with economic and social problems. The land of the country is largely divided into small holdings (of a total of 285,000 farms, 216,000 have an area of less than twenty-five acres), the great bulk of them owned .by the occupiers, and there has been a great increase in agricultural production as well as a considerable development of other industries. Money wages are low, but the standard of living is comparatively high. Standards of education and culture in Finland are notably high.

As an independent country, Finland was making national headway, with benefit to all sections of her people. The fair prospects that were thus opened are dimmed, if not blotted out, by the Soviet invasion. It seems only too probable, too, that the puppet Government, by stirring up class feeling and reviving elements of hatred and discord that were dying out, may be able to play a formidable, if ignoble part in the destruction of Finnish national life. OUR SHORTAGE OF WATER. GOOD deal of sympathy may be felt with the view expressed by a correspondent whose letter was published on Saturday that in a town like Masterion there should be sufficient water for all legitimate purposes, including the hosing of gardens and many people will feel that the correspondent pul a decidedly pertinent question in asking whether, in a well-watered land, a eommnnify which asks for an adequate water supply should “lie offered a stone in tiff shape of CIO,OOO worth of meters.” Taking account, not only of present needs bill of the prospective growth of the town, the local community evidently can hardly in reason be content with a water supply so limited that at times severe restrictions on use have to be imposed almost in the opening days of summer. The vital underlying question of course is how much the people of Masterton are prepared Io pay J'or an improved and more ample water supply. As the proposal laielv approved by the Borough Council has demonstrated, a good deal of money would have to be spent in order to effect even a limited improvement upon Die existing stale of affairs. A iniieli more considerable expenditure than has meantime been conlemplaled would hardly bring into prosper! the unrest rieted watering of gardens and lawns during the dry season. In order Io approach that state ol plenty, it would no doubt be necessary, not only to secure an improved supply at new headworks, but to reconstruct and enlarge virtually the whole system of mains.

Probably the most praclical step that can be taken towards dealing with this important question is to have a comprehensive report prepared on the whole water supply position, showing the cost of differenl schemes of improveinenl and the results Io be expected from them. Any large expenditure upon a project of the kind presumably is out of the question diii'iiiit tli.“ war period, but that need not hinder the facts being placed belore the people. Opinion appears to be developing in favour "f fl radical improvement of the wafer supply, bul an actual test can only be applied at a loan poll. It is certainly desirable that the facts and possibilities of the situation should be brought out as clearly as possible.