Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1939. RUSSIA AND FINLAND.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 30, 15 November 1939, Page 4

Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1939. RUSSIA AND FINLAND.

The negotiations between Russia and Finland have been suspended indefinitely, though the Finnish Foreign Minister expresses the hope that goodwill and understanding will continue. The suspension follows the ed when the Finns, having acceded to two-thirds of the Russian demands, refused to accept the remainder, which included the cession of land north of Leningrad, islands in the Gulf of Finland and a lease of land on the southern coast for a military base. So far the Finns have put up as good a resistance as Turkey, which succeeded in standing up to Russia and emerged from a long period of discussion with her diplomatic front intact. Finland is closer at hand, more vulnerable, and not nearly so strong as the southern State. Estonia and Latvia have fallen under Russian domination. Lithuania has been treated more considerately, but had to yield as gracefully as possible to Soviet demands. These three States are in a sense a natural sphere for Russian influence to expand, and, whether the rest of Europe likes it or not, a Soviet advance to the Baltic shore is wholly in lines with Russian policy for centuries.past. As the three succumbed to pressure, there was the modified satisfaction of knowing that the Russian advance was shattering German dreams of Baltic domination. With Finland, wider issues arise. If the Soviet Government really reduces Finnish independence, particularly if it gets any grip of the Aaland Islands, Russia will be completely triumphant over Germany in the Baltic, but will also stand in a new and probably disquieting relationship to the Scandinavian countries. Sweden must be particularly affected. The Soviet will be at her gates, an uneasy and not a welcome neighbour. In announcing Finland’s decision .the Foreign Minister denied that it had been reached under any influence from any other nations, but the realisation that Sweden could not view the aggrandisement of Russia with complacency probably played a part in stiffening opposition.