VARIED SENTIMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 63, 14 March 1940, Page 12

VARIED SENTIMENT

THE WORLD PRESS

THE PEACE IN FINLAND

FAMILIAR GERMAN THEME

(Received March 14, 2.10 p.m.) LONDON, March 13. The world's Press continues to reflect the multiplicity of views and sentiments regarding the Russo-Finnish peace, ranging from Russian and German gloating over the "setback" suffered by the western democracies to bitter grief at the s dumb oppression which ,the Stockholm newspaper "Tidningen" ascribes to the Swedish nation.

The Italian Press describes the settlement as "a so-called peace which does not dishonour Finland but offends the European conscience if it is still conscious of justice." Blame is directed in varying degrees against the democracies, of which Sweden probably receives the heaviest censure.

Semi-official Hungarian newspaper comment emphasises the relation of the Finnish peace to the entire European situation, and refers to the possibility of a general peace as a sequel.

The German comment plays a similar theme and warns Britain and France that the war on the Western Front is entering a decisive phase in which Germany is certain of victory. The British and French peoples are urged to re-examine the policy of their Governments under the light of Germany's improved strategic position.

The Amsterdam correspondent of "The Times" says, that the reaction in Holland is reflected in a drop in the pound, sterling from 7.24J to 7.1 guilders. Press and public comment is bitter, and says that the Allies left Finland to her fate and that their credit has suffered another shock. Sweden and Norway are also blamed.

"The Times," in a leader, refers to the British and French preparations to aid Finland, and adds: "If the same readiness had been shown in the earliest days of the conflict the Rus^ sians might never have made the advances they achieved after a hundred days of hard fighting, which cost half a million men. Finland knows that little trust can be* placed in the word of her predatory eastern neighbour,

whose penetration may take more insidious forms than military invasion."