LABOUR PEER

Grey River Argus, 15 March 1940, Page 11

LABOUR PEER

Tribute to Finns SOVIET TAUNTED. IN THE LORDS [British Official Wireless] RUGBY, March 13. Lord Halifax, in the Lords, made a statement on the Finnish peace, similar to Mr Chamberlain’s. Lord Snell (Labour) said: “Your Lordships will have heard the statement with mixed feelings—first, a feeling of satisfaction that the physical agony of a small and almost miraculous little people has now ended; secondly, with regret that the spiritual injuries they have received will endure, that right once more has been defeated, and wrong once more has triumphed in the world. So far as the Finns are concerned they may take comfort in the sympathy of all the free peoples in the world. They have done all that bravery and endurance could do. They have set a new standard of resistance against overwhelming odds, and have written a page in history that people will read with wonder through the generations yet to come. We can only acknowledge and admire their indomitable courage, and grieve with them in their defeat.

“It must be a proud day for the Russian Empire,” continued Lord Snell, sarcastically, “with their 180,000,000 people to celebrate the success of their attack upon a population which is less than that residing within the area of the London County Council. I will not comment on the other Scandinavian nations, but I feel sure that, if their own trial comes, the events of recent weeks and months will not be forgotten.”

COLD CONSOLATION FROM LORD SAMUEL. RUGBY, March 13. Speaking in the House of Lords. Lord Samuel (Liberal) found .consolatory satisfaction in the fact that the Soviet had been unable to impose any political terms on Finland. “The claim that the workers of Finland are only too eager to welcome Soviet intervention has been refuted by the gallantry uf the Finns themselves, who have inflicted appalling losses upon the Russians. M. Tanner, this afternoon, according to reports just received, attributed the disaster which has fallen on his country to the decisions of Sweden ana Norway, not to permit the passage of troops of the Allies. It is not for us to criticise, or even to comment unon those decisions. Those countries know better than anyone else what were the limitations imposed by their own situation. Having reached those decisions, it would not have been possible for Britain or France to have overridden them. To have proceeded in the face of the protests of Sweden and Norway, would have been a gross breach of their neutrality, and a clear infraction of international law,”