NEWS BY RADIO

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 January 1940, Page 6

NEWS BY RADIO

ANOTHER RUSSIAN ROUT IN FINLAND DEFENDERS PUSHING INTO ENEMY TERRITORY. GIFT OF £lO,OOO RECEIVED FROM AUSTRALIA. The following Daventry reports have been rebroadcast by the New Zealand national stations: — The Finns have routed the Russians after- two days' heavy fighting. Finnish troops are pushing forward into Russian territory, advances of 10 to 15 miles being recorded in an area 130 miles north of Lake Ladoga. In South Finland a temperature of 30 degrees below zero is recored. Although Russian artillery is heavily shelling the Mannerheim Line, ail other activity is at a standstill. The latest gifts to Finland include £lO.OOO from Australia. AMERICAN DEFENCE PLANS, The United States is Io spend £1.000.000 in fortifying two islands far out in the North Pacific; This is the first practical step in carrying out the new American defence programme announced on the previous day by President Roosevelt. The islands concerned are Midway, 1300 miles northwest of Honolulu, and Wake, 1100 miles further west.. Air bases are to be built on both islands. Work on a major air base is also to commence at a point in Alaska. The Achilles and the Ajax have left Buenos Aires and Montevideo respectively. Activity on the Western Front is still confined to local patrol activity, according to a French communique. Foreign planes have flown over Holland and Belgium during the last 24 hours When fired on and when Dutch pursuit planes went up lhe machines made off. A similar occurrence is reported from Belgium. The Belgian Government has lodged another protest with the German Government. The Hungarian Foreign Minister has arrived in Venice to meet the Italian Foreign Minister. It is reported in Hungary that the talks will cover the European situation, particularly the position in the Danube Basin and in the Balkans. Trade talks between Russia and Bulgaria are reported to be progressing and there is every likelihood of a trade agreement being reached. Substantial Polish forces are expected to be ready to assist the Allies by the spring. An agreement concerning the reconstructed Polish army and air force has been signed between M. Daladier and General Sikorski, the Prime Ministers of France and Poland. There is to be a French military mission for the Polish army in France.