International Notes SOVIET'S ACTION IN WAR

Grey River Argus, 5 January 1940, Page 10

International Notes SOVIET'S ACTION IN WAR

By

“Left Wing"

MOLOTOV ST ATES REASONS

Only Aim to Defend Own Security

(“People’s Voice” Special News Service). “No other paper in New Zeaiana has given its readers the full text o the historic broadcast made by thesb viet Prime Minister, Molotov, at ma night on November 30, reasons of the Soviet Union f or . military action in Finland. Th in itself exposes the real nature °t press campaign Which is now being carried on against the Soviet Union, with every weapon of poisoned_ p paganda. Below the ‘People s V gives you what Molotov cn>H- » “Men and women, citizens of tne Soviet Union. The hostile policy pursued by the present Government of Finland towards our country compels us to take immediate measures to ensure the external security of our State. nf “You know that in the course oi the past two months, the Soviet Goveminent has patiently conducted ne goiations with the Government o Finland concerning proposals whicn in the present alarming situation n regarded as the minimum essential for ensuring the security of our country and especially for the security 0i Leningrad. “In these negotiations the Government of Finland adopted an attitude of irreconcilable hostility towards our country.

prompted by foreign IMPERIALISTS. “Instead of finding ground for agreement in a friendly manner, the present rulers of Finland, to please foreign imperialists who instigate hostility towards the Soviet Union, took a different course. ~ “Despite all concessions we made, the negotiations ended without yielding any result. The consequences are now known.

“In recent days abominable provocations were commenced by Finland’s militarists on the frontier between the Soviet Union and Finland, including even artillery firing on our troops near Leningrad, which caused, grave losses in our Red Army units.., “The attempts of our Government to forestall, the repetition of these provocations by means of pr/bticai proposals, addressed to the Government of Finland, far from finding any support, again met with the hostile policy of the ruling circles of Finland. “As you know from yesterday’s Note of the Soviet Government, they replied to our proposals by a hostile refusal and a brazen denial of facts, by a derisive attitude towards the victims we have lost, by an undisguised striving to keep Leningrad under immediate threat of their troops also in the future. All this has definitely sho'wn that the present Government of Finland, which became entangled in its anti-Soviet ties with Jhe imperialists, does not wish to maintain normal relations with the Soviet Union. "ft continues in its hostile attitude towards our country and does not wish to pay any regard to the provisions of the non-aggression pact concluded between our countries, desiring to keep our glorious Leningrad under military threat. “From such a Government and from its thoughtless military clique we can now expect only fresh insolent provocations. “The Soviet Government was, therefore, yesterday, compelled to declare that henceforth it considered Itself free from the obligations undertaken under the non-aggression pact concluded between the U.S.S.R. and Finland, violated in an irresponsible manner by the Government of Finland. “In view of the fresh attacks of the Finnish military units on Soviet troops at the Soviet-Finnish frontier the Government has now been com pelled to adopt new decisions. “The Government can no longer tolerate the present situation, responsibility for which fully rests with -the Government of Finland. • BREAK RELATIONS.

“The Government of the U.S.S.R. has arrived at the conclusion that it can no longer maintain normal relations with the Government of Finland and therefore found it necessary to immediately recall its political and economic representatives from I* inland. • “Along with this, 'the Government gave orders to the Chief Command of the Red Army and Navy to be' reaay 'for any surprise and to immediately check possible fresh sallies on the part of the Finnish military clique., “The hostile foreign press asserts that the measures beihg taken by us are aimed at the seizure of Finnish territory or its annexation to the U.S.S.R. This is a malicious slander. “The Soviet Government has had nu stfth intentions. More . than that, if Finland herself pursued a friendlypolicy towards the Soviet .Union;. the Soviet Government, which always strove for friendly, relations with Finland. would be ready to meet her halfway in regard to territorial concessions on the part of the U.SIS.R. “Under this condition, the Soviet Government would be ready to con-, sider favourably even such questions as r ; the question of re-uniting the Karelian people inhabiting the main dis-; tricts of present Soviet Karelia with' their kindred Finnish people, jji al single and independent Finnish State.' “For this, however, it is necessary that the Government of Finland | should maintain hot . a hostile but a' friendly attitude towards the U.S.S.R., I which would correspond to the vital i interests of both States. I “Others assert that the measures carried out by us are aimed against Finland’s independence or at. interference in her internal and external affairs; This is equally rnalicious slanaer. . '> Y

“Irrespective of the regime existing in Finland, we. consider her an independent and sovereign State in her internal and external policies. “We firmly hold that the Finnish people should, themselves decide its in-, ternal and external affairs in |ny manner it deems necessary. WILL AID FINNISH PEOPLE. | “At the proper time the peoples of

the Soviet Union did what was necessary for the creation of an independent Finland. . „ rp ! “The peoples of our country are ready also in the future to render _ ie Finnish people assistance in ensuring its free and independent development. “The Soviet Union has equally no intention to prejudice the interests of (Other States in Finland. “Questions of the relations between Finland and other States form a matter of exclusive concern of Finland herself and the Soviet Union does not consider itself entitled to Interfere in this matter. "The only purpose of our measure Is to ensure the security of the Soviet Union and especially Leningrad with its-population of 3,500,000. ‘Tn the present international atmosphere, heated by war, we cannot make a solution of this vital and urgent State problem dependent on the ill-will of the present Finnish rulers. “This problem will have to be solved by the efforts of the Soviet Union itself in friendly co-operation with the Finnish people.”

Arrest of U.S.A. Communist Leader 22,000 CONDEMN IT. NEW YORK, December 15. “We, 22,000 New Yorkers in mass meeting assembled, protest and condemn the unwarranted arrest of Earl (Browder on the trumped up charges of a passport technicality,” said a resolution adopted unanimously by 22,000 persons who attended a mass meeting at Madison Square Garden here on Monday night. The resolution continues: The effort to suence Earl Bowder endangers tlie civil liberties ! of all peace-loving Americans and is an attempt to give a free hand to those who would plunge our country into the imperialist war. “We pledge to do everything possible to prevent Earl Browder from becoming the first political prisoner ol the second imperialist war, as the American ruling class made Labour s martyr, Tom Mooney, the first political prisoner of the first imperialist war in 1916. ‘‘ln defending the rights of the Communist Barty we are defending all political liberties of Labour, all unions and the rights of the American people to determine their own destiny,” the resolution concludes.

11 PER CENT. INCREASE IN SOVIET GRAIN CROP. MOSCOW, November 13 Despite unfavourable weather conditions, the grain crop in the Soviet Union this year'amounted,to 117,000,000 tons, it was announced to-day. This was 11 per cent, higher than last year. The overcoming f of the JWjeaither difficulties was attributed to the mechanisation of agriculture in the collective farms, which now employ the most advanced farming methods in . the world. The harvest of cotton, flax, sugar beet and potatoes also was higher than last year. ACTOR CHANGES ROLE, CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR TO WAR. LONDON, November I’o. Desmond Tester, English actor who played the part of a Highland ai'itmmer boy in the motion picture, "The Drum,” registered to-day as a con-, scientious objector and was assigned to farm work. "For me, killing is utterly wrong and futile, I refuse to do it.” he said. He also refused to participate m entertainments for troops or appetu in a propaganda film, saying, "I consider aiding or abetting or helping the army in any way to be equally wrong.” . • ■ 1 .j r .i>i“

LONDON BUILDERS SAY "STOP WAR.” ' LONDON, November 2. A strongly worded resolution calling for action to stop the war has been adopted by the' London District Committee of the Amalgamated Union of Building Trade Workers. . ; The resolution stated that in assisting aggression in China, Abyssinia, Spain and in Czechoslovakia and in refusing to conclude a pact with the Soviet Union, the Chamberlain Government bears equal responsibility, with Hitler for the war. It further declares that the workers can have no interest in forcibly replacing Hitler I with another set of German capitalists to. continue the exploitation of the German .workers. CUBAN WOMEN BRAND WAR’ IMPERIALIST. ' ' HAVANNA, November 14. The Third Naional Women’s Congress of Cuba is taking the leadership in the mobilisation of the forces for the light for peace, and is appealing especially io the Cuban women, to stop the imperialist massacre. This appeal, in the form of a manifesto stated in part:’-— ■ ■; •’ “The danger of war is at our doorstep?- Imperialist forces interested in the continuation of the present imperialist war, are conspiring to bring Cuba and the whole continent within the orbit of war. It is of the utmost importance that Cuba be prepared -to stop the work of these criminal hariiTS. And in such action which requires promptness and energy, women must nlay a decisive role.

AGAINST U.S. ENTERING WAR. NEW YORK. Tens of thousands of students in the Catholic colleges of the United States are opposed to American participation in the European war, in the tremendous proportion of more than 40 to 1. This is the result of a poll conducted by. the Catholic, weekly “America. - ;: > TAX ON WAGES IN FRANCE. PARIS, November 6. A new 15 per cent, tax on all wages

will be imposed soon on : . all workers, French or foreign, it was reported to-day. Al], men between the ages of 18 and 49 will be affected, including all mobilised functionaries of th? State, unless they belong to ac.Lual fighting units. (CHINESE RAID SHANGHAI SUBURBS. CHUNGKING, November 14. Almost in . the shadow of Shanghai resolute Chinese armies to-day continued to belabour the Japanese south of LaJce Tai, in the vital Hashing sector astride the Shanghai-Hangchow railway. - 1 ’ On Sunday the Chinese occupied the town of. Tangsi; ”south-west of Hashing, after a furious battle. Japanese positions in the southwestern suburbs of Shanghai have been raided by Chinese partisan troops during recent nights. .