ALLIED AID FOR FINNS

Grey River Argus, 15 March 1940, Page 7

ALLIED AID FOR FINNS

AN EXPLANATION By Mr Chamberlain [British Official Wireless.] RUGBY. March 13. In a crowded and expectant House Mr Chamberlain made a statement on the Finnish peace settlement. His brief recital of the facts ended with a tribute to the Finish people, which drew full-throated cheers from all parts of the House. Mr Chamberlain said: “The British Minister at Helsinki was informed by M. Tanner that the Soviet-Finnish peace terms were signed at Moscow, last night, and that an armistice was signed at eleven a.m. to-day —Finnish time—between two armies. “Throughout the Soviet-Finnish struggle, Britain, in concert with France, has furnished the Finns with large quantities of war material and supplies of all sorts, particulars of which have been made known, so far as public interest would permit. Britain has, in fact, made plain her readiness to give all possible help to the Finns in the gallant struggle against aggression, and as J informed the House on Monday, we had made preparations to throw the full weight of all our available resources into the scales on hearing that this would be in accordance with the desires of Finland.

“It has always been understood it was for Finland to decide upon the course of action which Finland considered best suited her interests, in the light of all the available knowledge. In their decision, the Finns may be assured that the people of this country are united in sympathy with the situation in which the Finns find themselves, and in admiration for the courage with which they for so long, a struggle against overwhelming odds. This epic story will ever be recounted in the chronicles of their own country, and will remain alive in the memory of all peoples. The Opposition leader, Mr Atlee rose immediately and said: “We are all agreed in our admiration for the Finns in their struggle, and while we are all of us relieved that the slaughter has been stopped, we deeply regret the success of aggression. May I ask the Prime Minister that just as this country has been willing to assist the Finns in defending themselves against aggression, so we shall render them all the assistance we can in order to repair the damage of this unprovoked attack on them.” Sir Archibald Sinclair associated the Liberals with the tributes of admiration and sympathy to the Finns, and requested the Prime Minister to give particulars of the assistance given. FINNISH REQUEST. MR HORE-BELISHA’S QUERIES. RUGBY, March 13. During Mr Chamberlain’s statement on Finland, the ex-Secretary for War, Mr L. Hore-Belisha, intervened to ask if it were not a fact that repeated appeals had been made by Finland for assistance, not only in material but in men, and was it not a pity, in relation to the magnitude of these events and their far reaching character, to plead as an excuse for inaction, a pure technicality. Mr Chamberlain replied: “It is not correct that repeated requests for men have been made by the Finnish Government. The Finnish Government made repeated requests for material, and every one of those requests has been answered. The Finns had been informed, as long ago as February 25, that if they were to make an appeal to us, we would be prepared. In the circumstances in which they found themselves they decided not to make such an appeal.” Mr Hore-Belisha then .asked Mr Chamberlain to. confirm the figures given by M. Daladier, yesterday.

The Prime Minister said that he had endeavoured to obtain an accurate account of M. Daladier’s speech, and, in the absence of such a report, he would prefer not to comment upon it. Regarding statements in the Press, purporting to give the amount of Allied help to the Finns, he said that the Government had never made any complete statement of the amount of help given to Finland, and a distinction must be drawn between what was sent and what had actually arrived.

Nazi-minded Bureaucracy CLYDESIDE M.P.’s NEW TUNE. STALIN REGIME DENOUNCED. RUGBY, March 13. The tense atmosphere in which the House of Commons heard the Prime Minister’s original answer on Finland was broken during the putting of supplementary questions, when the I.L.P. member, Mr. Mac Govern, interjected with an impassioned denunciation of the Soviet Government, which members found relief in greeting with amused cheers. The Clydeside member, who has been involved in many scenes in the House in the past, by his fervid championship of the needs of the unemployed, said: “Is the Prime Minister aware that, whilst a considerable number of people are glad that the slaughter of the Finns is over, the overwhelming mass of the people of this country are of the opinion that Stalin and his Nazi-minded bureaucracy have brought down upon themselves the loathing and contempt of every decent-minded person?” Italian Irony ALLIED HELP OFFERED TOO LATE. , - LONDON, March 13. A Rome message states that the “Popolo Di Roma” said: The peace terms indicate a compromise, and not a signal Soviet victory. Finnish heroism has been wasted. The British and French, as is their custom, hasten to show their readiness to help, now that peace is made. NOT JUST PEACE. LONDON March 13. The Italian press describes the

Russo-Finnish settlement as a socalled peace, which does not dishonour Finland, but which offends the European conscience, if Europe is still conscious of justice.” In the Italian papers the blame is directed in varying degrees against the democracies, of which Sweden probably receives the heaviest censure. GENERAL PEACE PROSPECT? LONDON, March 13. Semi-official Hungarian« newspaper comment emphasises the relation of the Finnish peace to the entire European situation, and refers to the possibility of a general peace sequel.