FACING THE FUTURE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 March 1940, Page 7

FACING THE FUTURE

M. RYTI’S RALLYING CALL ALL WESTERN CIVILISATION IN DANGER. POLICY OF SCANDINAVIAN STATES. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. LONDON, March 15. The Finnish Parliament approved the peace treaty with Soviet Russia by 145 votes to three. The decision was taken after a debate which lasted two and a half hours. The main feature of the debate was a speech by the Prime Minister, M. Ryti, who began by saying that very often it required more courage to start peace negotiations during a war than to start the actual war.

Referring to the offer of military assistance, he said it depended on two neutral countries with very few railways which could easily have been destroyed, and when the Finnish Government had carefully considered the position they were forced to come to the conclusion that they could not continue the war.

“Only the future will show whether we have done the right thing,” he said. “The whole of Western civilisation is in a dangerous position, and nobody knows what tomorrow will bring.”

With the sword in one hand and the trowel in the other, and without anger or bitterness against anybody, he said, they would have to repair the wounds which the war had inflicted. He emphasised that Finland started the war without any promise of help from anybody, and said that contrary to allegations nobody had advised them to resist.

Speaking in reference to the refusal of Norway and Sweden to allow the passage of British and French troops to help Finland, the Speaker of the Finnish Parliament said: “We were forced to realise the bitter fact that our western neighbours were prevented by

armed force from sending armed help to us.” As late as midnight last Monday Finland made a final appeal to Norway and Sweden to allow the passage of Allied troops, and Norway again refused.