ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY FORCE READY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 March 1940, Page 5

ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY FORCE READY

Announcement by French Prime Minister POSITION IN PEACE NEGOTIATIONS UNCERTAIN FIGHTING CONTINUES AT VIBORG AND ELSEWHERE The French Prime Minister, M. Daladier announced in the Chamber of Deputies, that an Allied Expeditionary Force of 50,000 men had been ready for the past two weeks to go immediately to the aid of Finland. The decision to make this force available was taken by the Supremo War Council on February 5 and since February 27 the French troops of the Expeditionary Force had been equipped and assembled. A. large number of ships had been waiting’ to leave. The dispatch of these troops, he said, depended on a direct appeal from the Finnish Government, but no direct appeal had yet been made. A i-dport from Helsinki states that the Finnish delegates in Moscow have no power to make a binding agreement with the Soviet and that any terms agreed upon in Moscow would have to be approved by the Finnish Parliament. .It is reported that the Russians have toned down their terms and have withdrawn the demand for Petsamo and dropped the demand for a naval base. In the absence of any official report, from Helsinki these reports, however, must, he treated with reserve.

In the meantime, bitter fighting. continues. A further small Russian advance on Hie north-west shore of the Bay of Viborg is admitted by the Finns, but elsewhere all Russian attacks have been repulsed. Russian bombers were again active and the Finns say they shot, down 15.