GERMAN TROOPS IN FINLAND

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23318, 2 May 1941, Page 9

GERMAN TROOPS IN FINLAND

PASSAGE OP 12,000 REPORTED FIGURES DISCOUNTED IN HELSINKI (Received May 1, 7 p.m.) (U.P.A.) LONDON, April 30. The Moscow paper “Pravda” says that it is reliably reported from Tallinn that 12,000 German troops, equipped with tanks and artillery, aboard four transports, landed at Turku (Abo), in Finland, on April 26, and proceeded to Tampere on April 28. Turku is on the river Aura near its mouth on the Baltic Sea, and is 168 miles from Helsinki. Tampere, an important manufacturing town, is 85 miles north-east of Turku. The “Pravda” report brought a semiofficial statement from Helsinki which said: "One thousand three hundred

Germans have passed through Finland. The Moscow figures beat all records for exaggeration.” It is pointed out in London, says a British Official Wireless message, that there is an arrangement, in which the Finnish Government unfortunately acquiesced, by which German troops stationed in the north of Norway going on or returning from leave are granted transit facilities through Finland.

Official circles in London declare that there is no Confirmation of the landing of Germans in Finland, but according to the Moscow correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain, German sources assert that the Soviet has long been aware that Qer- y man troops are going north through Finland. The latest landing is quite regular. The Helsinki correspondent of a Swiss news agency states that Officials deny reports of joint German and Finnish manoeuvres in Finland. A message from Zurich states that the official German army newspaper, for the first time since the signing of the Russian-German treaty, reminds its readers “never to forget that Herr Hitler was the first to take up the fight against the Bolshevist terror regime." EFFECT OF SOVIET BAN TRANSIT OF MATERIALS OF WAR LONDON, April 30. Referring to Russia’s ban on the transit of war materials across the Soviet, Chinese officials in Chungking pointed out that the materials which China receives from the Soviet originate in Russia. In view of this, presumably China is not affected. If so, officials added, the ban would be beneficial to China in the sense that it would prevent German materials from reaching Japan, which is especially important in view of recent reports that Germany is considering sending aircraft to Japan, GEEMAF U-BOAT ACE FATE OF OTTO PRIEN LONDON, April 30. The German Admiralty is anxious as to the , whereabouts of Kapltaenleutnant Otto Prien, who has not reported since April 13, states the Zurich correspondent of the Exchange Telegraph Agency. Kapitaenleutnant Prien is the last of Germany’s three U-boat aces. Mr Churchill paid a tribute to his skill and daring in sinking the Royal Oak. He is also reputed to have sunk the Arandora Star, which was torpedoed in the Atlantic when she was carrying German and Italian prisoners from Britain to Canada. [A kapitaenleutnant in the German Navy is equivalent to a commander in the Royal Navy.] NEW ANTI-SHRINKAGE PROCESS TREATMENT OF SOCKS FOR THE SERVICES (Received May 1, 9 p.m.) . LONDON, April, 30. British scientists have perfected an anti-shrinkage process to which woollen underwear worn by the services is being treated. Half a million pairs of socks a week are being treated at a cost of an extra penny. The extra penny paid will enable the socks to be worn 20 times longer. Last,year, the socks thickened after washing, causing lameness, but now the process keeps the wool soft. Women are unable to take advantage of the process until after the war. SHIP BUILDING IN AUSTRALIA BOARD’S PROPOSALS MELBOURNE, May 1. Recommendations for the immediate construction in Australia of three overseas merchant ships of 9000 tons each are contained in the first report of the Ship-building Board, the Min,-' Ister for Supply (Senator P. A. McBride) said yesterday. Senator Mcßride has directed the building of at least 60 ships as a longrange objective, The first three will be built : sm New South Wales, Queensland. and : South Australia respectively. The board foresees 1 no Insuperable obstacles to the construction' of the ships in a reasonable period. Coal Strike in U.S.—The United Mine Workers of America and the southern , soft coal operators have announced a temporary agreement for reopening the southern mines.--Wa3h-ington, April 30.