FINDING NEW HOMES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 133, 16 March 1940, Page 5

FINDING NEW HOMES.

GOVERNMENTS HUGE TASK.

GRAVE SOCIAL PROBLEM.

LONDON, March 15

One hundred thousand men, women and children started by foot, car, lorry and train to cross the new boundaries to strange homes .in what remains o the fatherland. Their homes are now in Russia, hut none wished to live under Bolshevik rule. They todc their cattle, pigs, and horses, and such be- /, longings as they, could gather, v The Government faces a tremendous task in attempting to move as much property as possible and find now pel manent homes and livelihoods for the 470,000 evacuees from the ceded areas. Most are already evacuated because of the "war. A further 140,000 evacuees must return to their homes when the bombing damage is repaired. Sixty thousand cattle must also be moved from Lake Ladoga and the, Karelian • Isthmus.

M. Koisisto,'. the Minister organising the evacuation, said: “The Government will try to keep neighbours and communities together, but grave social problems are ahead. He added that no pressure had boon brought to bear on those, living in the ceded territory, but hardly one of them had chosen to remain. / ■ ■

All the available rolling-stock is going to South-East Finland. All cars have been requisitioned and all drivers have been called up.

The • Army is moving back 4-i miles daily.

WITHDRAWAL OF ARMY.

LONDON, March 15.

At 10 a.m. to-day the Finnish Army began to withdraw along a zig-zag front 200 miles long in South-Eastern Finland. When the Finnish forces have withdrawn 4} miles the Russians will begin their advance into the ceded territory.

Wiipuri will be one of the first centres to be occupied. At one point the will withdraw 60 miles. There is still no indication of when the Finnish Parliament will ratify the pact with Russia. Ratification by the Soviet will probably take place at the extraordinary session of the Supreme Soviet Council.

AMERICAN HELP. LOANS FOR RECONSTRUCTION. WASHINGTON, March 14. The Federal Loan Administrator' (Mr Jesse. .Tones) announced that tho 20,000,000 dollars credits provided by the Export and Import Bank were still available to Finland and might be used for internal reconstruction, • including the erection of homes for more than 400,000 Finns who were expected to become refugees from the areas Russia is taking over. This Avas a departure from the usual policy'requiring the use of the credits to acquire materials in the United States. Mr Jobes said certain hank trustees would sympathetically consider any request to take a portion of the sum in cash. The American Red Cross announced that it would continue to send .relief supplies to Finland.