MISSIONS IN MOSCOW

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 177, 28 June 1941, Page 7

MISSIONS IN MOSCOW

VITAL DISCUSSIONS BEGIN PROGRESS OF FIGHTING LONDON, June 27. -^ T ° time lias been lost since the Foreign Minister (Mr Eden) told the House of Commons that the Russian Government had accepted Britain’s oner to send missions to Moscow to co-ordinate activity against their chief enemy Germany. Members of the economic and military missions have arrived in the Russian capital.

Molotov (Foreign Minister) to-day received the British Ambassador (Sir Stafford Cripps), who has returned to Moscow from London. The Ambassador introduced the members of the missions, also all the members of flic Embassy staff, 1o M. Molotov.

The members of the missions include General Mason Maefarlane, who was the Chief of British Intelligence in France eighteen moriths ago. He was formerly military attache at Budapest, Berne,!and Vienna. Another member is Air ViceMarshal Collier, who was a member of the British mission to Moscow in 1939 befojre the breakdown of negotiations.

Other members of the jmission are [Acting-Colonel K. G. Exham and [Rear-Admiral C. J. A. [Miles. The latest news of the fighting on the [Russian front is pieced together from communiques and announcements issued by the Russians. j

Of the northern front-falong the Baltic coast—there is no news.

In the northern area of] the central sector the Russians admit that the German tanks have penetrated deeply towards Minsk. ..Further south Moscow claims that the dofeatjof the Germans enabled tho Russians to withdraw ami refit for a fresh attack. Tho German drive in that area.; has apparently been checked. In the River Pruth sector the Germans and Rumanians have made negligible progress, if any.; Great damage is reported to have been done during Russian air attacks on the Rumanian capital (Bucharest), the important oil centre of Plocsti, and the vital port of Constanzai The newspaper Tzvestia claims that all the German parachute troops dropped in Soviet territory have been wiped out, thanks to civilian assistance.

Tho German communique says nothing of the latest operations except that they have been “successful in all sectors.”

Denmark, which is under German control, has broken off relations with Russia.

Mr Eden to-day saw the Swedish Minister in London and* told him that the British Government thought Sweden’s action in allowing the passage of German troops was deplorable.

FINNS WTTIT OFF MANS. CLAIM FROM BERLIN. LONDON, June 27. Jt is officially claimed in Berlin that the pu.sitioa in Finland lias been clarified and that the Finnish army is fighting besides the Germans, though the Helsinki correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain claims that Finland has not yet taken the offensive against Russia. Ibe Helsinki newspaper ! Suomcn Sosialidcmokrautti says Finland does not want war, though she is apparently at war without a declaration. Every Finn is needed for peaceful works. An official Russian statement accuses Finland of a flagrant violation of the Russian-Finnish peace treaty. “The Red Army and Red Fleet will strike heavily against the Finnish Hitler gang which dragged Finland into war.” it says.

The Times’s diplomatic correspondent says it is appreciated that Sweden and Finland are in a difficult position in relation to the Russian-German war, hut Britain deprecates their recent decisions. It is realised that the Finns remember that last year they were forced to cede a large area to Russia and are glad of a chance to recover it. Neverthelos, it is still felt in London that there is no compelling need for Finland to depart from nonbelligerency. The Soviet radio explained on June 25 that the Russian-Finnish war of 19:*»0. was obviously not against Finland. hut was unavoidable for the Soviet because she realised that Germany could use Finnish territory to attack Russia. Tt, added that the Finns were merely innocent victims of the German aggressor because it wa.s Germany whom Russia fought in Finland in 1940. and it is Germany Russia is fighting there. SOVIET NOT TRUSTED.

The President (M. ltyti), in his broadcast irom Helsinki, said Finland tried to fulfil the terms of the Kus-sian-Fniitisii treaty, but again iouud she was unable to rely on tnc word ot tlie Soviet. The Soviet promised not to interfere with Finland’s foreign policy but made further demands. “Thu Soviet decided to employ even more brutal measures against Finland. The Soviet air force killed women and children and destroyed valuable property. We will fight for our freedom' and the creed of our fathers and make any sacrifice. Our faith in Marshal Mannerhciin is unlimited.” lie alleged that the Soviet was carrying on subversive activities in Finland and “wanted to gain our country either by internal decomposition or force. The decomposition tactics failed. V< are not alone. Hitler has decided to wage war against the Soviet, why- 1, is facing a united front from the White Sea to the Black Sea.”