THE SOVIET'S REPLY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 142, 13 December 1939, Page 12

THE SOVIET'S REPLY

"KIND INVITATION"

REASONS FOR REFUSAL

SAME AS STATED

BEFORE

(British Official Wireless.)

(Received December 13, 2.15 p.m.)

RUGBY, December 12

The British delegation at Geneva learns that the Soviet Government has sent a reply to the telegram sent to it from Geneva yesterday, and that the text of the telegram is as follows :

"The Soviet Government thanks you, Mr. Px-esident, for the kind invitation to take part in the discussions, of the Finnish question. At the same time, the Soviet Government informs you that the Soviet is not in a position to accept this invitation, for the reasons given in the telegram of December 4 from the Commissariat of Foreign Affairs, sent in reply to a communication from the Secretary-General."

"M. Molotov's message to the League stated.that the Soviet Union considered •the convocation of the Council on the appeal of the Finnish delegate, Dr. Holsti. to be unwarranted. It added that the Soviet was not in a state of war with Finland and did not threaten the Finnish people with war. Consequently, invocation of Article II (for common action against an aggressor) was not justified.

It was stated that the Soviet had a pact with the People's Democratic Government of Finland which regulated all questions on which it was impossible to negotiate with the former Finnish Government. The People's Democratic Government appealed to the Soviet on December 1 for military aid in order to liquidate the war danger created by the former Finnish Government. Dr. Holsti's appeal was illegal since the persons for whom he spoke were not the true representatives of the Finnish people. The Soviet therefore could not participate in the Council or the Assembly, the convocation of which was irreconcilable with respect for the Soviet Union.