MIXED FEELINGS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 March 1940, Page 8

MIXED FEELINGS

PEACE GREETED SADLY IN FINLAND

FLAGS FLOWN AT HALF-MAST.

SOLDIERS REACT SULLENLY TO NEWS.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received This Dav, 10.55 a.m.) I HELSINKI. March 13. Mingled joy, dejection and bitterness marked the Finnish people’s reaction to the termination of the war—joy over the cessation of the struggle, dejection at the humiliating terms imposed on a small country fighting for its independence and bitterness because the Finns believed that the surrender was partly due io the vacillation and selfishness of more powerful democracies. Helsinki’s delayed revelation that peace had been signed and an armistice arranged astounded the Finnish troops in the front lines. For months they had fought themselves almost to a standstill. The cease fire order meant for thousands an opportunity to sleep which the struggle against overwhelming forces had long denied them, but a majority of Finland's warriors.reacted sullenly to the news that their sacrifices had been without result. Flags on all public buildings were flown al half-mast immediately M. Tanner revealed that a pact had been signed. There were no celebrations or scenes of joy. ALLIED AID QUESTIONS IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. LEFT-WING MEMBERS DENOUNCE SOVIET. (Brittsn Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.45 a.m.) RUGBY. March 13. In the House of Commons, after Mr Attlee and Mr Hore-Belisha had asked questions. Sir A. Sinclair associated the Liberals with the tributes of admiration and sympathy to the Finns and requested the Premier for particulars of the assistance given. Mr Hore-Belisha then asked Mr Chamberlain to confirm the figures given by M. Daladier yesterday. The Prime Minister said he had endeavoured to obtain an accurate I account of M. Daladier’s speech and in the absence of such a report he would prefer not to comment upon it. Regarding statements in the Press purporting to give the amount of Allied help to the Finns, he said the Government had never made any complete statement of the amount of help given to Finland and a distinction must be drawn between what was sent and what had actually arrived. The tense atmosphere in which the House heard the Premier's original answer was broken during the putting of supplementary questions, when an Independent Labour Party member, Mr J. Mac Govern, interjected an impassioned denunciation of the Soviet Government, which members found relief in greeting with amused i cheers. A Clydeside member who had been involved, in many scenes in the House in the past by his fervid chamI pionship of the needs of the unemployed, said: “Is the Prime Minister aware that whilst a considerable number of people are glad the slaughter of the Finns is over, an overwhelming mass of the people of this country are of opinion that Stalin and his Naziminded bureaucracy have brought down upon themselves the loathing and contempt of every decent-minded person.” GERMAN HOPES TALK OF ENORMOUS DEFEAT FOR ALLIES. (Received This Day, 10.55 a.m.) BERLIN, March 13. ■ The “National Zeitung" states that Britain and France have suffered a dei eat of such enormous proportions that it is possible only vaguely to conceive the consequences. The Soviet has given such a demonstration of readiness for peace that one will watch with justifiable interest whether the Russian and Turkish traditional friendship will be resumed. TO BITTER END FINNS HURL BACK RUSSIANS. RECONSTRUCTION PROBLEMS. (Received This Dav, 12.55 pm ) HELSINKI. March 13. Finland s last war communique revealed that Finnish troops were hurling back the Russian attackers to the bitter end. Many countries are turning their thoughts to the problems of reconstruction of the devastated Finnish. towns and countryside, also the probable transplantation and rehabilitation of four hundred thousand Finns who are domiciled in the territory ceded Io Russia. Many of these are in dire need. The Hoover Committee has cabled an offer of help to M. Kallio. The Swedish Parliament is discussing methods of assisting, Finland to “regain her feet." DEFENSIVE ALLIANCE SWEDEN. NORWAY AND FINLAND. REACTION AMONG BALTIC STATES. (Received This Dav. 12.55 p.m.) HELSINKI. Marell 13. IVI. Tanner announced that. Sweden. Norway and Finland were conferring immediately for the conclusion of a defensive alliance, which would secure their frontiers and independence of the three nations. The Baltic States are also reacting to the Russo-Finnish settlement. 'lhe Foreign Ministers of Estonia. Lithuania and Latvia are meeting at Riga tomorrow to discuss the new situation. ' BRAVE PEOPLE PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT'S EULOGY FINNS’ UNEXCELLED VALOUR (Received This Dav. 12.55 p.m.) WASHINGTON. March 13. While various members of Congress

denounced the Russo-Finnish treaty as “another Hitler victory." President Roosevelt issued a statement repeating his statement of December 1 and adding: "The Finns, by unexcelled valour and strong resistance in the face of overwhelming armed forces, have won a moral right to live in everlasting peace and independence in the land they have so bravely defended. The people and Government of Finland have again, increased the respect and warm regard in which they are hold by the United States, even though it is clear by virtue of attack by a neighbour many times stronger that they have been compelled to yield territory and accept a material weakening of their own future defence of their independence. The ending of this war , docs not yet clarify the small nations’ inherent right to the maintenance of their integrity against superior forces of attack." SWEDEN’S GRIEF MULTIPLICITY OF PRESS VIEWS. RUSSIAN AND GERMAN GLOATING fly Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received This Dav. 12.55 pan.) LONDON. March 13. The world’s Press continues to reflect a multiplicity of views and sentiments on the Russian-Finnish peace, ranging from Russian and German gloating over the “setback" suffered by Western democracies to the bitter grief and ,r dumb oppression which a correspondent ascribes to the Swedish nation. The Italian Press describes the settlement as a "so-called pcaje which does not dishonour Finland but offends European conscience, if it still is conscious of justice." Blame is directed in varying degrees against the democracies. of which Sweden probably receives the heaviest censure.