Russian-Finnish Armistice Begins

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 210, 5 September 1944, Page 5

Russian-Finnish Armistice Begins

German Troops to Withdraw Before 15th (By Telegraph—press Assn.—Copyright.) Received Monday, 11 p.m. STOCKHOLM, Sept. 4. It is officially announced from Helsinki that tne Russian-Finnish armistice began at 8 a.m. to-day. Marshal Mannerheim has issued the following communique: “Under the terms of the agreement between the Finnish-Russian government hostilities on the Finnish army front will cease at 8 a.m. to-day. Tho President and commander-in-chief issues orders to this effect. The Associated Press’s Helsinki correspondent says Mannerheim’s expected order came a few hours after the Finnish Government officially broke off diplomatic relations with Germany. The order spread swiftly among the weary troops but there were scarcely any expressions of joy among the people in Helsinki as they got the news on their way to work this morning, but the majority gave signs of relief aud declared: “Thank God!” Formal negotiations for armistice terms will not be opened until after the 15 th—the deadline for the withdrawal of the German forces in Finland. General Rendulic, commander-in-chief of the German forces in Finland, assured Marshal Mannerheim that the Germans would withdraw without incident before September 15, states Reuter’s Stockholm correspondent, quoting a reliable source. German strength in Finland is estimated at 160,000. The Moscow radio, broadcasting a statement from the Russian Foreign Commissariat, said that Russia, as a preliminary condition for the reception of a Finnish armistice delegation, demanded that the Finns break off relations with Germany and arrange for the withdrawal of the German troops from Finland by September 15 or their transfer to the Allies as prisoners of war. If the Germans failed to leave within the prescribed time the Red Army was prepared to assist in disarming them. Finland in her request of August 25 for the reception of an armistice delegation expressed willingness to break off diplomatic relations with Berlin. Russia agreed to suspend military operations on the southern part of the Finnish front if the Finns carried out the Russian conditions. Russia expressed the view that all other questions must he settled during the armistice negotiations.