TREATY RATIFIED

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 65, 16 March 1940, Page 14

TREATY RATIFIED

FINNISH DIET

REVIEW BY PREMIER

PEACE NEGOTIATIONS

REPAIRING WOUNDS OF WAR

(By Telegraph—Press Association.—-Copyright.)

(Received March 16, 1.50 p.m.)

LONDON, March 15.

The Finnish Parliament approved the peace treaty with Soviet Russia by 145 votes to 3. The decision was taken after a debate which lasted two. and a half hours.

The main feature of the debate was a speech by the Prime Minister. M. Rytii who began by saying that very often it required more courage to start peace negotiations during a war than to start1 the actual war. He gave a resume of events leading up to the signing, of the treatyi and said that on several occasions the Government approached the Soviet to start negotiations for peace but met with refusal. After the early stages of the war there followed a period' when Finnish successes gave the-hope that .they might be more successful in peace negotiations. Some weeks ago they were able to make, contact with the Soviet, Government through the Swedish Government; and a delegation was sent to Moscow. "The result of the negotiations now lies,on the table," he.said.

M.Ryti referred to the months during which the Finns fought alone, the gradual exhaustion of the Finnish Army, and the growing strength of the Russian forces. The Western Powers offered valuable assistance.

Referring1 to the. offer of military assistance, he said' it- depended on two neutral countries with very few railways which could easily have, been destroyed, and;when the Finnish Government had ■ carefully considered the position they' were forced to come to the conclusion that they could not continue the war. . ' .. . ■

Only:the future will show whether we have ■ done the right thing, he said. The whole of Western civilisation is* in a, dangerous position, and nobody knows what tomorrow will bring. f:

With the sword in one hand and the trowel in the other, and without anger or bitterness against anybody, he said, they would have, to, repair the wounds which the war had inflicted. He emphasised that Finland started the war without any promise of help from anybody, and'said that contrary to allegations nobody had advised them to resist. .