The Grey River Argus THURSDAY, March FINLAND SAYS DOWN ARMS.

Grey River Argus, 14 March 1940, Page 6

The Grey River Argus THURSDAY, March FINLAND SAYS DOWN ARMS.

Now that, after a heroic stand, Finland has had almost to cap itulate, it may be imagined m some quarters that there .w as nothing much in the last minute Allied offer of greater support if she should have decided not to bow to Moscow. It may, indeed, be admitted that in voicing that, offer, the Allied leaders had a fair idea that Finland had reached almost the end of her strength in the face of the enormously more uuiherous Red Army. But the fact will always remain that Finland has not given in simply because she had been left in the lurch. She doubtless has realised the extreme difficulty in sending her extensive, military aid when it would have to pass through neutral territory. Her supply of munitions was being exhausted, and she was isolated, because the neighbouring countries, while sympathetic, were not so in action, for fear of a similar fate at the hands of the enemy. It was an unequal, almost an impossible, struggle all along, and the marvel is that the Finns continued it so long and well, inflicting on the enemy enormously greater losses than thev suffered themselves. It is said that the Allies have suffered i! loss of prestige, but they probably will prove ultimately to have been 'advantaged, since they would run far greater risks in trying to send men to Finland than the holding up of Russian forces there, would be worth to them. The main enemy is Germany, and Russia in any case is more or less under the influence of Germany. It is true that the Russians now will have access to Sweden and Norway, of which, if the circumstances allowed, they would quickly take advantage, but they may presently be found transferring their .attention to the Caucasus region, if they do not also lend Germany their cooperation in an attempt further to bully and exploit the Balkan countries. However, the Allies are aiming for a war of endurance and it seems as if oil in particular is going to prove a vital factor. The Russian pine line from the Caspian is less than two days’ march from the Turkish frontier, and it will be no surprise to find that, even if the enemy claims, as the Germans do claim, a second victory on the northern wing of the Eastern Front, the Allies will more than counter it on the other wing of the Eastern Front. Indeed, the Allied Powers are dominant in the Near East, and Italy will not stand by and see the Balkans subverted by the enemy. It will thus be found, ere very long, that any jubilation by the. enemy is premature. If they have done no more, the Finns have shown a grand and memorable example to greater nations in the defence of freedom.