FINLAND’S APPEAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 December 1939, Page 6

FINLAND’S APPEAL

PLANS FOR MEETINGS AT GENEVA RUSSIA EXPECTED TO LEAVE LEAGUE. SHORT MEETING OF COUNCIL ON SATURDAY. By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright. (.Received This Day, 11.15 a.m.) LONDON. December 4. Finland’s representative at the League Council meeting will be Dr Rudolf Holsti. Minister at Berne, at the head of a strong delegation. Mr E. de Valera, who will probably be elected chairman, has convoked the Assembly for December 11. The Telegrahph’s Geneva correspondent says the Belgian representative, M de Wiart, will preside over the League Council meeting on December 9, which will adjourn after a short meeting owing to the calling of the Assembly. M Souritz, Russian Ambassador in Paris, will represent Russia and M Modzelewski, Minister in Berne, will represent Poland. ’• It is learned here that Russia will leave the League. FRENCH COMMENT FINLAND & COLLECTIVE SECURITY. (Received This Day, 11.15 a.m.) PARIS, December 4. Finland’s appeal to the League recalls that Finland, alone among the Scandinavian Powers, has always remained faithful to the principle of collective security. SOVIET AIMS NOT SEEKING TERRITORY. ONLY WORKING FOR ‘-PEOPLE’S GOVERNMENT." (Received This Day. 11.15 a.m.) MOSCOW, December 4. The “Pravda” states that Russia does not intend to seize territory belonging to Finland, Sweden, Norway or Denmark, “her only aim being to liberate the Finns from oppressors and from warmongers—namely Cajander, Erkko, Tanner and Mannerheim.” It adds that the Red Army will leave Finland immediately the people’s Government finds it necessary. ORDERS NOT NEEDED HUMANITY OF RUSSIAN BOMBERS. ACCORDING TO "PRAVDA.” (Received This Day, 11.15 a.m.) LONDON, December 4. The British United Press Moscow correspondent says Soviet airmen received orders on. December 1 not to bomb civilians. The "Pravda comments: “These orders are superfluous, because Soviet airmen are too humanitarian to fight unarmed people.” ARCTIC FIGHTING RUSSIANS STILL PRESSING ATTACK. ACTIVE PREPARATIONS FOR DEFENCE. (Received This Day, 12.40 p.m.) LONDON, December 4. Finnish official circles report a diminution of fighting owing to continued snowstorms, but according to the British United Press Helsinki correspondent hostilities have not entirely ceased in the Arctic area, including the locality of Petsamo. Mr Simcox, the Canadian manager of the nickel mines at Kalosgoki, near Salmijarvi, states that the Russians are landing three thousand reinforcements and meditating an attack in the direction of Lauti, whence the whole civilian population has been evacuated, only soldiers remaining. These are intensely active along the road from Petchengo to the Arctic port of Liinahamari. preparing to withstand a Russian advance. Three to four hundred Swedes have joined up for service in Finland. AALAND ISLANDS FORTIFICATION PROPOSED BY FINLAND. • VITAL STRATEGIC POINT. (Received This Day, 12.50 p.m.) LONDON, December 4. The Helsinki correspondent of the British United Press states that Finland has notified the League of Nations that she is fortifying the Aaland Islands. Sweden and Finland asked the League’s approval of this step last May. Russia objected and the League did nothing. A Finnish spokesman points out that the Aalands are one of Finland’s most vulnerable points and that any power seizing them could close the Gulf of Bothnia, enabling Finnish cities to be bombed and isolating the country from the world. STORIES OF HEROISM GALLANT WORK BY FINNISH AIRMEN. ONE ATTACKS SQUADRON SINGLE-HANDED. (Received This Day. 1.30 p.m.) LONDON. December 4. The British United Press Association's agent at Helsinki, dealing with stories of heroism from Petsamo, recounts how Lieutenant Vuurima Kallela. son of the noted painter, was killed while leading a small patrol against the crew of a huge Soviet bomber which had been forced down in Eastern Finland. The Finns, after a bitter hand-to-hand conflict, killed every Russian airman. Finnish airmen claim many successes. One reported the killing of 41 Russian soldiers with single bursts of machine-gun bullets. Another airman attacked a Russian squadron singlehanded, brought down one and damaged others. The Mayor of Helsinki says the evacuation has so far proceeded that further bombing will be mere wanton destruction of buildings. Today passed quietly.

FINNISH DEFENCES

HELD BY GOOD TROOPS WELL EQUIPPED. (Received This Day. 1.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, December 4. An Associated Press of America correspondent states that twenty thousand Finnish soldiers hold the lines in North Finland. The foremost line, from Petsamo southwards, is slightly east of the so-called Arctic highway. Others are thirty miles further west, closer to Norway, touching Salmajarvi. All are first-line troops with firstclass equipment. SOVIET ALLEGATION LAND-MINES OF BRITISH ORIGIN. (Received This Day. 1.30 p.m.) MOSCOW, December 4 M. Nikolai Virka. a correspondent of the "Pravda” from Karelia, asserts that land-mines of British origin are everywhere AUTHORITATIVE DENIAL (Received This Day. 1.30 p.m.) LONDON, December 4. Authoritative circles deny the employment of British land-mines in Finland.