Wairarapa Times-Age SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1939. FINLAND’S FIGHT FOR LIFE.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 December 1939, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1939. FINLAND’S FIGHT FOR LIFE.

MANY tributes thoroughly well deserved are being paid to the gallantry with which, the Finns are defending themselves against the invading Russian armies, but it is at Ihe same time difficult to perceive anything that is consolatory in the immediate outlook for this brave and liberty-loving people. The bald facts of the position are that, their own resources, human and material, are hopelessly inadequate to enable them to make head against the Soviet, invasion and that while they are offered an abundance of sympathy and moral support, they are to a great, extent cut. off from materia aid As a Finnish Foreign Office spokesman said man appeal reported todayßussia must win unless Finland receives more than sympathy. Arms ami men must be given quickly. Unfortunately there is no visible prospect of Finland getting the help she needs so desperately.

There is a terrible descent from the emphasis laid by President Roosevelt upon the moral support which the knifed States is giving Finland, and his hope for the future, to the statement following that the President proceeded to study with his advisers how material help in food supplies could be sent to sustain the Finns in their struggle. In order to have an) reasonable hope of overcoming the perils by which the) are encompassed, the Finns would have to be given not onl) food supplies, but the active support of powerful military, naval and air forces.

11 is a question whether the liberty-loving nations which are now lavishing sympathy on Finland, quite honestly no doubt, would not have shown a ■wiser regard for her interests and welfare had they advised her to submit meantime, under protest, to the Russian demands, with an assurance that every possible effort would'be made to secure the re-establishment of unrestricted Finnish independence on the restoration of peace in Europe. Acting on these lines and inducing Finland 1o fall in with their ideas the European democracies and America might have done something from the outset to modify and limit, Russian aggression against the Finns. As affairs have turned, nothing else is in prospect than the martyrdom of vet another little nation.

Some important details of the military position in Finland are at present obscure, but reports from both sides agree that the Finns have retreated from their ice-free Arctic port ol Pctsamo, which might have been of inestimable value ,as a gateway for the introduction of supplies could it have been retained and kept open. Damaging headway appears also to have been made by the invaders on some of the other land fronts. It is now'stated that the Russians have declared a blockade of the Baltic coast of Finland—action they are well able to take, since their navy is very much more powerful than (he Finnish coast defence squadron. Finnish and Swedish minefields in the vicinity ol the Aaland Island may prevent the the extension of the Russian blockade to the (lull ot Bothnia, but with that, exception Finland now appears to be cut ofl from the outside world save by land, over rough country, from Norway and Sweden.

Valiant efforts, notably successful at some points, are credited to the Finns in Hie defence of their fortified lines in Karelia, in-guerilla fighting and in air raids on Russian bases, but they are faced by an overwhelming preponderance of numbers and material. Summing up essential aspects of the situation, a military correspondent observed recently that:—

Russia can overwhelm the Finnish navy; she has 3.500 aeroplanes on the frontier to cope with 150 Finnish machines at most (as to this it has been reported within the last day or two that Finland has received or is receiving a few score additional planes from Italy and Britain); and she has a million and a half men, with the cream of her mechanised units, to push back 140,000 Finns. The most that the Finns can hope for is a reinforcement of another 150,000 local militiamen; , but by the nature of things these commune forces must lack concerted direction. . .

It counts for a good deal, also, that Finnish organisation and resources are concentrated to an extreme and dangerous extent in the capital, Helsinki and in Viborg, further up the Gulf of Finland. Both Helsinki and Viborg are exposed to bombardment from sea and air, and it is said to be a military axiom with relation to Finland that “he who controls the coastal strip rules Finland.’’

On the total facts in sight it is difficult to regard the heroic resistance, of the Finns as entailing anything else than a vain sacrifice, justified only, if it can be justified at all, on the ground that it is better that free men should die than that they should submit to aggression. IMPORT RESTRICTION RESULTS. JN the latest available figures of Dominion trade, published in. the November “Abstract of Statistics.” the policy ol import restriction is at length beginning to show appreciable results. During Hie six months ended -lune 30 last, the first period covered by the Government’s policy ol import control, total imports amounted to £28,186,730, as compared with £27,109,312 in lhe first six months of 1938. That is to say, imports were greater by £1,077.418 in the first six months of control than they were in the corresponding period 01. the preceding year, in which there was no control. The effect of lhe policy of restriction became apparent to some extent, however, in the period of three months, July In September inclusive this year, when imports dropped by £2,557,492 as compared with the corresponding period in .1938. The same ruling trend continued in October last, when the imports total was less by £939,745 than that for October last year. “This is the first, occasion since 1933,” the “Abstract’ notes, “that exports have exceeded imports in an October month.” During the period of ton months to October 31 last, external trading in commodities showed an excess ol exports amounting Io £7.888,462, as compared with an excess of exports of £4,388,283 in the first ten months of 1938.

As a great deal of recent erilieisni and complaint bears witness, this appreciable measure ol progress has not been achieved without serious economic strain ol one kind and another. Whatever scope may exist for advantageous and desirable adjustment in detail, however, it is clear that the broad trend now disclosed ought to bo maintained and extended. A further reduction of total imports from the level at which they have stood recently in relation to exports is one essential contribution to the solution ol the financial and economic difficulties in which the Dominion is notv involved.

National interests of course demand that available external purchasing power should he concent rated on those commodities that are most needed, particularly necessary supplies ol' producers’ and consumers’ goods, and, in the existing stale ol affairs, defence materials. 11 has rightly been urged that Government purchases overseas should be restricted as much as possible, but while the war continues an exception must he made in favour of necessary defence equipment. So much lhe more on that account, however, (‘very effort should he made to ent down imports ol constructional and other materials for works which on a number of grounds might very well be deferred.