FINLAND SAID TO BE MOBILISED

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23361, 21 June 1941, Page 9

FINLAND SAID TO BE MOBILISED

(UNITED ' PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.) (Received June 20, 10.45 p.m.)

LONDON, June 20. With all of information on the subject distorted by censorship, the Russian-German crisis is befogged.

Travellers arriving in Finland say that the railway from Moscow to Leningrad is blocked with troops and munitions. Finland is reported to be mobilised for war and the Government has followed up the calling up of reserves with sharp restrictions on civilian railway traffic to facilitate military preparations.

The Helsinki newspaper “Sanomat” says: “Causes beyond Finland’s control may have given events a turn jeopardising our peace and liberty, to the extent that we are forced to defend them with everything in our power. Finland will not. attach herself to any league of Powers for dishonourable action.”

“Uusi Suomi,” another Helsinki newspaper, says; . *A Russian-German clash must concern us and would concern our eastern neighbour, with whom we have a long, common frontier, and a country with which our relations have become closer and stronger.” The “Daily Express” says the Moscow radio was ’ , heard announcing that more provinces, especially the Ukraine, are carrying out civil defence practice, .4 Inclpding anti-aircraft and searchlight tests. Ukrainian troops have entered upon large-scale manoeuvres of alpine units.

It is reported from Is repeated demands which 1 ! . Commissar, refused in Berli exchange of technicians, pn and better arrangements of tr 'and Russia, and also a divi v influence.

tanbul that Germany has M. Molotov, the Foreign in in November, covering ovision of war materials, ransport between Germany ision of political zones of

The. “Daily Mail” says that Buchar‘«t 'has. admitted that the Rumanians - have taken • certain military measures, hut are acting independently in so do?Sul,,The measures are not connected wlth' polltical events, and must not be regarded as preparations for military ;steps against Russia. diplomatic correspondent of j*The Times” says there are two German .divisions in Finland and prob--ably the major part of a third; but a - IScic of heavy artillery and heavy ' 'tynibers. Tjie Germans are promising the Finns find Rumanians the return lost to Russia., jMlflil'inaih German striking force is -arc formed by the East PrusPolish, and Rumanian frontiers. ‘■Sftyßhfr correspondent draws attention fact that the Germans h ave | ..,'Wtfully excluded all anti-Sovie' S.: from the jubilation about the BSerman treaty, mouncement in Helsinki of action in closing Petsamo to fallowed the issue of an & Vdnight on Wednesday call‘Jts to the colours for special >4s. The purpose of the manB |Mune»3i was: stated, was to preserve I secvirity, and to . strengthen | sler defences as other neutral countries v* done. , railway traffic in Finland was greatly restricted yesterday, because military' preparations, states an ~ Associated Press message. A’ Stockholm message says that the J'ftflvee House of the Swedish Parliaapproved a bill restricting ■.fjfJleedom of the press, which has “benecessary because of the Inter-_ ;s.f Wtloiial situation.” kfK circles in Ankara declare, that ' 4®4jermany and Rumania have presented ji'fe ultimatum to Russia demanding maiH Russia join the Axis. I M(2) -Bessarabia be returned to Ru.lgahia. , Hj - (3) 'Germany share for 40 years in , „ 'the exploitation of Caucasian oil and agriculture. .tMlOne completely unconfirmed report Ankara ■ even asserts that GertPPpany is’already attacking Russia at points on the eastern frontier. MflThd Columbia Broadcasting System s that it heard the Turkish radio

announce that Germany had actually launched an attack on Russia is not confirmed in London.

Neither is there anv confirmation In •London of a report broadcast by the Tiflis radio that fighting had broken out between Russian and Rumanian frontier guards at Kamenets of Podolskey, in the Ukraine. An official spokesman in Berlin flatly denied foreign reports that Germany had begun to invade Russia or that clashes had occurred on the Ger-man-Soviet border. From Moscow the correspondent o/ the British United Press reports that there is no sign of uneasiness there or of any general or partial mobilisation. A message from Moscow stated that all was calm in that area. The Moscow radio, broadcasting at' 10.30 o’clock last night, dealt solely with home news. Another report says that the Moscow radio has hitherto been silent about reports of German-Russian tension, but now it is apparently preparing the population' for big developments. It declared that frontier reports indicated that incidents may have occurred on the Bessarabian border, caused by traitors’ intrigues. The Moscow radio also spoke of the Socialist Fatherland’s dire danger as a result of the plots between the Soviet’s cunning neighbours. Without being directly named. Turkey was attacked for her change of front in signing the so-called friendship treaty, thus completely subjecting the Balkans to interests inimical to the doctrines of Socialism; and - thus taking responsibility for the further spreading of the war.*

. The announcer referred to the Soviet’s preparations, especially in the Baltic, where the mighty Red Fleet was ready for any emergency. Barrage balloons have been put up In certain military districts in western Russia as an important part of the military exercises. In Tokyo, reports of Russian and German friction alarmed the authorities sufficiently to cause them to ban for some time newspaper reference to it. Even when the ban was lifted only scant mention was made. A report to the United Press strongly suggested that if Russian-Ger-man friction seriously developed Japan would favour Russia rather than Germany.