SOVIET & SWEDEN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 March 1940, Page 6

SOVIET & SWEDEN

REPORTED FRIENDLY DECLARATION

POLICY DURING RECENT WAR. REVELATION OF GERMAN THREAT. I By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. ■■ (Received This Day. 12.40 p.m.) STOCKHOLM. March 18. A Foreign Office spokesman ’ siaied that Russia had with- ; drawn her objections to the ? refortifical ion of the Aaland Islands and had given a for- ' mal diplomatie promise that she had no furl her territorial 5 demands to make in Nortli1 West Europe. She had also ' requested the earliest re-es- ’ tablisliment of friendly relalions. The spokesman denied that Russia had requested a ! free port in the Gulf of Bothnia. He revealed that Germany formally , threatened intervention if Sweden allowed the passage of Allied forces to Finland and added that Sweden had ' sent Finland one-fifth of the planes constituting the Swedish Air Force . and also 90,000 rifles, eighty anti-tank I guns, a hundred anti-aircraft guns, 150 L heavy guns and several hundred field guns, with all necessary ammunition. Finland did not receive foreign assistance. except Swedish, for six weeks after the outbreak of war. The first Allied supplies arrived in the middle of January. RISKS TAKEN DEFENCE OF SWEDISH POLICY. ■ EVERYTHING POSSIBLE GIVEN TO FINLAND. (Received This Day. 1.5 p.m.) STOCKHOLM. March 18. The Foreign Office spokesman stated: “The Army took maximum risks to assist Finland, exhausting all the Army reserves of munitions and guns and depleting civilian reserves of food, petrol and coal. Sweden was in a dangerous position at the end of the war. Wc could not involve ourselves in a position in which the country would be at the disposal of four of the greatest military Powers as a convenient battleground. We gave what we’had every time Finland made an urgent appeal and are now faced with a difficult position of replacement.” DEATHS & DAMAGE EFFECTS OF SOVIET AIR RAIDS IN FINLAND. (Received This Day, 12.55 p.m.) STOCKHOLM. March 18. M. Aino Kaarlo Cajander, the Finnish forestry expert, in a statement, said the Russians made 1.800 air raids, killing 637 civilians. They bombed forty-six hospitals, destroyed 122 stone buildings and damaged 364, destroyed 1.467 wooden houses and damaged 2600. gutted four and damaged five churches. POSITION OF TURKEY

ASSURANCE OF ALLIED AID. IN EVENT OF AGGRESSION. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.50 a.m.) ■ RUGBY, March 18. The Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Mr R. A. Butler) was asked in the House of Commons if, in view of the fact that Finland was the second country to fall in a war of aggression, a comprehensive plan existed between France and Britain to render immediate military aid to Turkey should her integrity be threatened, or if it should be expedient for her to go to the aid of a neighbouring State. Mr Butler replied: "Britain and France are bound by Article 1 of their Treaty of Mutual Assistance with Turkey' to give Turkey all the aid and assistance in their power in the event of her being involved in hostilities with a European Power in consequence of aggression by that Power against Turkey. The form that assistance should take has been and is subject to consultation between the three governments. This consultation will take into account the contingency' referred to in the second part of the question.” Mi- Butler’s own and other House of Commons answers indicated that he will deal in a statement tomorrow with figures of the material assistance sent to Finland, the possibility of financial assistance in Finnish reconstruction and yesterday’s raid on the Orkneys.