HOSTILE FINNS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20627, 1 December 1941, Page 5

HOSTILE FINNS

ALLIES OF HITLER FEARS CONFIRMED WASHINGTON OPINIONS (Reed. Dec. 1, 9 a.m ; ) NEW YORK, Nov. 30. The Secretary of State, Mr. Cordell Hull, said yesterday that recent acts by the Finnish Government confirmed the United States apprehension that Finland was fully co-operating with the Hitler forces in the war against the Soviet. Referring to Finland’s recent note explaining why her army had not ceased hostilities, Mr. Hull said that after a full study it had thrown no light upon the question uppermost in the Government’s mind as to how far and to what extent the Finnish military policy was one of combined operations by the Germans and Finns to vitally injure Britain and her associates and to threaten the northern imply lines, over which Russia was now receiving supplies and assistance from Britain and the United States.

Mr. Hull criticised Finland’s signing of the Berlin anti-Comintern Pact, which was being used by Hitler solely as an instrument to wage a war of conquest and the domination of free peoples. Therefore Finland’s action was highly significant and could not be camouflaged or explained away by propaganda attacks.

A message from Helsinki states that a special session of the Finnish Parliament passed a vote of confidence in the Government’s military and foreign policy, after a detailed statement by the Prime Minister, M. Rangoll. It is -announced in Rome that Italy and Finland have signed a trade agreement.