A SUMMARY OF THE SITUATION

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 85, 4 January 1940, Page 7

A SUMMARY OF THE SITUATION

Details of the successful Finnish counter-thrusts on the eastern and central fronts are to hand. These show that the Russians were even more decisively beaten than was at first indicated. _ correspondent of the London “Daily Telegraph’’ states that Finnish strategy “made monkeys out of the Soviet High Command ano secured the frontier for two months to come. • , It now appears that there were two distinct battles. One took place on January 1 along a 150 to 200-mile front near Suomussalmi (the narrowest part of Finland’s “waist ). Here the Russians were hurled back to the frontier, where their remnants are now struggling to extricate themselves from a position exposed to continued Finnish attack.

The second Finnish victory was won 200 miles to Hie south at Kiantajarvi. This area will have become known to readers as the 'sector “north of Lake Ladoga.” Here, according to the latest messages, three Russian divisions of well-equipped shock troops were put to flight, one division being cut up with a heavy loss of material. But this defeat of a Russian force more than 50,000 strong this dispersal of a menace to Finland’s waistline until the spring ) ias been only a sideshow. Dispatches from the south reveal that Finland’s main concentration is along the Mannerheim Line, wheie 100,000 men—one-third of her entire armed forces —are stemming the main Red offensive. On January 2 during a great blizzard 200,000 Russians attempted to storm the Finnish left flank. In spite of the odds in their favour they failed. , . . , Reports from the far north state that the invaders of the Petsamo district are in a desperate plight, 10,000 of them being cut off from their bases. The Leningrad-Murmansk railway appears still to be out of commission, and one troop train which attempted to get through on Tuesday met with disaster, involving the loss of hundreds of lives.

This sorry tale of incompetent, over-reaching aggression lends colour to a Dutch report, wliich a few weeks ago would have been rejected as ludicrous. The report states that Germany, m response to a personal appeal from Stalin, is sending a military mission to Leningrad “to aid the Russians against the Finns.”

With typical audacity the Nazis at the same time have issued a semi-official warning that if Britain sends men to Finland, or gives the republic much material assistance “Germany might enter the Russo-Finnish conflict.” Britain has already informed the League of Nations that she is sending material aid, but the Nazi reference to men has no known justification. <

Yesterday’s American report of troop concentrations along the Russian borders of Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan ate denied in London so far as the two latter States are concerned. This casts doubt on the whole story of an imminent _ Soviet threat, for the Turkish troop movements to the eastern districts arc likely to be connected with earthquake relief measures.

It is rumoured in Paris that a Nazi political leshullie will accompany a spring “peace offensive.” Hitler, it is will become President of Germany and Goering Chancellor of the Keich. If this were true, and if it implied a Nazi endeavour to comply with the Allied demand for a changed regime in Germany, it would be a singularly feeble piece of jugglery.

Two British bombers out of a flight of three failed to return after a clash over the North Sea with 12 German fighters. One enemy machine is known to have been shot dowm and tw r o otheis are believed to have been crippled. . ■ Ihe United States has protested vigorously against Britain’s action in inteifeting on f hc high seas with American mails addressed to Germany. ... A Tttrko-Italian trade agreement is pending. . - '1 he Western Front, deeply under snow, is quiet, but air reconnaissance activity is reported.