NORTHERN TALK

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 147, 16 March 1940, Page 11

NORTHERN TALK

Conversations Start In Few Days DEFENSIVE ALLIANCE Misgivings In Norway And Sweden (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) LONDON, March 14. The time and place of the conference of Finland, Norway and Sweden to discuss the formation of a defensive alliance have not yet been fixed, but M. Tanner, the Finnish Foreign Minister, said'that the conversations would start in a few days. It is emphasized that any alliance will be purely defensive so as not to violate Finland’s pledge to the Soviet not to engage in any bloc aimed against the Soviet. M. Kallio, President of Finland, declared in a broadcast to the nation, that a defensive alliance with Norway and Sweden was inescapably necessary. The Norwegian Foreign Minister, Professor Koht, said that his Government had replied in the affirmative to Finland’s question whether of a defensive alliance between they would consider the possibility Norway, Finland and Sweden. The Swedish Foreign Office stated that Sweden had agreed to join a triple alliance. It is reported that a military and diplomatic conference of the three Powers will be summoned as soon as Finland has settled her new frontiers and signed the final peace documents. Scandinavian Fears. Scandinavia is by no means unanimous regarding the proposed defensive alliance of Sweden, Norway and Finland. It is realized that the Finnish peace brings them within the Russian sphere of interest. The railways which are to be constructed will threaten Sweden and Norway, and Finland is no longer considered to be fully independent. The proposed guarantee of Finland’s new frontiers is therefore regarded as dangerous. There is argument also that an alliance would infringe the peace agreement and the declaration that Finland will not join a group hostile to Russia, though international lawyers express the opinion that a purely defensive alliance would be permissible. Sweden intends to continue her financial aid to Finland, and has already given £30,000,000, in addition to £12,000,000 worth of arms. She has now granted a credit of £18,000,00. Baltic Conference. A Riga message says that the For eign Ministers of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia have begun a three-day conference on economic co-operation. The Moscow radio announced that the Supreme Soviet Council is to hold an extraordinary session on March 19. This will be the sixth meeting in four years.