£75 MILLIONS

Grey River Argus, 21 September 1944, Page 5

£75 MILLIONS

FINLAND’S INDEMNITY TO RUSSIA. PETSAMO GIVEN UP AND AREAS TO BE LEASED. (Rec. 7.35). LONDON, Sept. 20. Announcing Russian-Finnish armistice terms over the Finnish radio, the Acting-Prime Minister, M. Von Born, stated: Th e Finns have agreed immediately to withdraw to the 1940 border. The Porkhale .Peninsula and a fairly, large land and sea area is to be leased to the Soviet for 50 years.. Petsamo is to be given up to Russia. Aerodromes ■in the south and southwest of Finland are to be temporarily placed at the Allies’ disposed. The Finnish merchant fleet is similarity to be placed at the Allies’ disposal. The Finnish Army is being placed on the ! peace time footing. The Germanforces in Finland will, be disarmed. Finland, over a period of six years, isto pay an indemnity of £75,000,000 to. Russia. . • ’ , M. Von Born said: “This is one of ‘■he hardest days in Finland’s history.” M. Von Born disclosed that the amount of the reparations, £75,000,000, is only half of the sum which the. Russians originally mentioned during the abortive peace talks in Stockholm last spring. “Even so-,” he said,“this sum is relatively heavier than. any demand for reparations that was made upon any' country after the last war. This result is not what the Finnish people had dared to hope for in spite of everything. Ideas of whatis just, sensible and expedient differ.! greatly in these times. But we muststick to reality, and must try to build, up our existence with the opportune ities remaining.” , ■ At 5 o’clock on Monday morning tne Finnish Parliament, at a special'secret. session, was informed of the armistice negotiations. A second secret meeting was held shortly afterwards, at which Parliament without voting approved the 'Government’s policy. Moscow radio,'detailing negotiations between September 14 and 19, said representatives of Britain and the Soviet, acting on behalf of the United Nations at war against Finland, participated. The Soviet representatives included M. Molotov, Marshal Voroshilov, Colonel General Zhdanov, Deputy Foreign Commissar Litvinov, General Scchemenko,- and li(ear-Admiral Alexandrov. The British representatives were the Ambassor (Sir A. Clark Kerr), and Counsellor J'. Balfour. . 1 FURTHER ARMISTICE TERMS (Rec. 1.35) -> LONDON, Sept. 20. The Moscow radio has announced the full Finnish armistice tepms, which differ in some respects from those released by Helsinki. Additional terms are: (1) Soviet and-Al-lied prisoners and interned civilians are to me repatriated immediately, and ■ Finnish prisoners and internees are to be repatriated; (2) Finland is to restore .all pre-war rights to/’Allied subjects; (3) Finland is to..cooperate with the Allies in the;-arrest of war criminals; (4) property taken from the Russians by the Finns during the war is to be returned immediately; (5) Finland is to hand over German Axis war equipment, including warships and merchant ships; (6) no German or Hungarian property is to be exported without permission from the Soviet Command; (1) all Allied ships are to be handed over immediately; (8) Finland; .is to place her materials and products;?? at the Allies’ disposal for war; (9) persons arrested for Allied sympathies or for working for the Allies, are to be released 'immediately,' and racial discriminations are to be abolished; (10) Fascist political, military or semi-military organisations are to be dissolved and not allowed -in-the future; (11) an Allied Control Commission is to control fulfilment...... of. the terms; (12) Aaland Islands Agreement of 1940 is.to be restored. ROUMANIAN INDEMNITIES.. SC LONDON, Sept. 14. The question of the payment by , Roumania of war indemnities to any of the United Nations apart from Russia will be determined later. An Allied Commission is to be set up to administer the . terms of the armistice. The British and United ' States Ambassadors to Moscow (Sn Archibald Clark Kerr and Mr. Averell Harriman respectively) took in the armistice talks. Prince Stnbey was the principal Roumanian signatory. . — -