The Evening Star THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 1940. FINLAND’S DEFEAT.

Evening Star, Issue 23525, 14 March 1940, Page 10

The Evening Star THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 1940. FINLAND’S DEFEAT.

No one can be sure whether the defeat of Finland is an injury to the Allies’ cause. It depends on the sequel, and what developments would have been if the war had continued. Our war is with Germany. It would have suited Germany more than anything to see Great Britain and France rushing large forces for divergent operations against Russia in Finland while she stood free to launch her unreduced forces for attack in whatever theatre more vital to the main conflict she might choose. The disposition to give large help to Finland, on grounds of sympathy, not strategy, was thwarted for the Allies by geography. They could only send their forces, or the quantities of supplies needed, to that country tucked away in the armpit of Europe’s north-western projection with the co-operation of Sweden and Norway, who refused « passage. The Swedes and Norse, with their small resources, feared to involve themselves in a struggle with Russia, and Finland had to stand alone. It will be seen how much the Soviet had to fear, before she began these hostilities, from either Finland or the Allies, or from anyone except Germany as a possible aggressor. Sweden and Norway, as their Press makes plain, both have uneasy consciences over their conduct, but their armies and navies were little more than nominal, and, if war had been forced upon them, they would have had no co-ordinated plans. , The peace made ,is of advantage to Germany, since it liberates. Russian supplies for her assistance, but how soon or to what degree these can be made available is an open question. The peace terms are hard for Finland. Russia takes all that was refused her at the opening of hostilities, and something more. The Mannerheim Line is surrendered, and Helsinki will live but a threatened existence with the peninsula of Hanko, which commands it, in Russian hands. A right of way for Russia to Sweden, which'is provided for, will not please the latter ■ State. It wquld be false to conclude, however, that the Finns have gained nothing by fighting; ' Their army, though reduced, is still unbroken. They will live under their : dwn Government, not the puppet Government, cynically set up under its own guns by the Soviet, which is now as cynically tossed aside by its promoters. So there will be no internal purges or violent divisions. The peace has been made with the regularly constituted Administration with which the Russians three months ago refused to deal. The Prime Minister and other members of the ■ puppet Government were reported a few days ago to have been arrested by tho Russians for criticising the Soviet’s peace advances. Germany and Italy generally applaud the new settlement, but it is an Italian journal which describes Russia’s attack on Finland as “ the most obvious example of aggression in modern history.” The. Finnish Foreign Minister agrees that, with the attitude taken up by Sweden and Norway, the Allies had no chance of helping his State effectively. Finland had been unprepared, he added, for waging the ■war, because she had trusted in treaties—the treaties that were violated by Russia, as set forth in the condemnatory resolution of the League of Nations. The manner in which she waged it, nevertheless, has won the admiration of the world.