ARMISTICE TERMS

Grey River Argus, 24 February 1944, Page 2

ARMISTICE TERMS

FOR IFINLAND AND (GERMANY. LONDON, Feb. 21. It is believed in Stockholm that the Finnish ex Minister, M. Paasikivi is to return to Helsinki to inform the Finnish leaders what he learned about the Russian attitude to the prospect of a separate peace. No statement on his visit has been issued at any stage. The Stockholm Communist newspaper “Ny Dag,” in a leading article indicated a belief “that' Soviet terms have been offered and that they, hold out good hopes of Finland extricating herself honourably from a disastrous situation into which her rulers plunged her. It stated that “unconditional surrender” did not exclude a possibility of conditions being negotiated whereby Finland could cease nghting Russia or even change sides. It also indicated that Moscow’s attitude to the Finnish Government, as expressed in Soviet newspapers, did not necessarily mean the Russians would ■ not negotiate with it. The presence of a large German force in Northern Finland is, however, clearly a major difficulty. The “Sunday Times” diplomatic correspondent stated: The Allied European Advisory Commission (composed of Sir William Strange; the 'Soviet Ambassador, Mr. Gousev; and the American Ambassador, Mr.' Winant) ha's received Russian proposals for armistice terms for Germany. It therefore, has before it three drafts —British, American and Russian — which seek to co-ordinate. The questions involved, of course, are of extreme importance, and although their urgency may not be immediate, the Allies are determined not to be caught napping a second. time. It will be recalled that at the end of the last war they were not prepared for Germany’s sudden collapse.