FINNISH PEACE PROPOSALS

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 120, 16 February 1944, Page 5

FINNISH PEACE PROPOSALS

Believed Transmitted To Moscow PARTY PRESSURE (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.— Copyright.) (Received February 15, 8 p.m.) -LONDON, February 14. Finnish Government leaders conferred all today on 'the question of peace with Russia, says the Helsinki correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain. There has, however, been no official indication that the Government has asked, or is ready to ask, for terms, as urged by 'the Social Democrats, who are the majority party. Messages from Helsinki state that die Social Democrats, who hold 84 out of the 200 seats in the Finnish Parliamen't, are pressing strongly for peace. The “New York Times” Stockholm correspondent learns from highly placed authorities that Finland has really embarked on the road leading ou't of the war and that M. Paasikivi has come to Stockholm to clinch a deal if possible with the Russians with the 1940 boundaries forming the basis of discussions. Russia’s terms are believed to be not 'too harsh and would not interfere with Finland’s form of government or with the composition of the Cabinet.

While the Fininsh diplomat, M. Paasikivi, denies that he is in Stockholm tc negotiate peace proposals, the United Press correspondent at. Stockholm says it is reliably learnt that the Finnish Government sent M. Paasikivi to Stockholm to contact the Russians and attempt to negotiate peace. It is understood that the Finns informed the United States of M. Paasikivi's status before he left Helsinki.

Reuter’s Stockholm correspondent, supporting the United Press report, says that if the reply to the peace proposal which M. Paasikivi is believed to have transmitted to Moscow is favourable, he is ready to contact the Soviet Legation in Stockholm, or to fly ditect to Moscow.

M. Paasikivi, a former Prime Minister of Finland and Finnish Minister t” Moscow, is strongly pro-Soviet in his sympathies. He played a big part in the Fininsh independence negotiations with Russia in 1920, and in negotiating the Russo-Finnish peace in 1940.

HUNDREDS ARRESTED Gestapo Grip On Norway

LONDON, February 14. Reports -reaching official Norwegian circles in London indicate that decisions taken at the recent meeting between Herr Hitler and the Nazi commissioner in Norway and the quislings are beginning to take shape. The Gestapo has begun to tighten its grip in Norway, and already hundreds of Norwegians have been arrested in Oslo; Bergen, Trondheim and other towns, particularly on the coast. Five hundred more Gestapo men have just arrived in Norway from Germany, and steps have been taken to incorporate quisling storm troopera direct into the Gestapo machine. At the same time it is reported bbat a leading personality in Norway has visited Hitler again to discuss plans for transferring more administrative power to the quislings. These developments are regarded by Norwegian circles in London as being linked with events in Finland or the putting into operation by the Germans of their so-called X-plan, which providestfor !he partial or total evacuation of Norway should the Baltic situation become acute. The reason for the present mass arrests is believed to be that the Germans hope to weaken the Norwegian home front so that if the German armed forces have to withdraw the quislings and the Gestapo can be left to hold the It is reported that General von Falkenhorst, Nazi commander-in-chief in Norway, is inspecting the fortifications there, country.