Before Attack: “No Territory Wanted,” Says Molotoff

Northern Advocate, 1 December 1939, Page 5

Before Attack: “No Territory Wanted,” Says Molotoff

(Received 10 a.m.) LONDON, November 30,

“THE RECALL OF OUR DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATIVES AND THE READINESS OF OUR ARMED FORCES IS NOT AN ATTEMPT TO VIOLATE FINNISH INDEPENDENCE OR ANNEX TERRITORY,” SAID M. MOLOTOFF, ANNOUNCING THE SEVERING OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS.

“We have no such, intention

“If the Finnish attitude had been friendly the Soviet would have made territorial concessions, and favourably considered the reunion of the Karelians with the Finns in a united independent Finnish nation.

“We regard' Finland as an independent Sovereign State, whatever her regime, but the solution of* this urgent problem could not be conditional on the bad faith of the present Finnish leaders.

“The Soviet must solve the matter in friendly co-operation with the Finnish people.

“The safeguarding of Leningrad is the only way to reopen friendly relations between the'Soviet and Finland.”

Reply to Soviet Note.

The Finnish reply to the Soviet Note denouncing, the Russo-Finnish NonAggression. Treaty emphasised that on the Finnish side of the frontier only frontier guard forces had been stationed, which did not constitute any threat against the security of Leningrad. Therefore, the denunciation of the treaty was unjustified. The Finnish Note pointed out that under the treaty both parties agreed to resort exclusively to pacific means of settling any disputes, of whatever nature or origin, which arose between them. Conciliation Proposal. The . Finnish Government accordingly proposed that a conciliation commission should be summoned immediately, in order to examine the present. controversy,

Alternatively, Finland was ready to submit the dispute to neutral arbitration.

The Note-added that in order to refute the Soviet Government’s allegations that Finland had adopted a hostile attitude toward the Soviet, and to prove its sincere desire for a friendly agreement, the Finnish Government was ready to negotiate for the withdrawal of its troops from the Karelian Isthmus, with the exception of frontier Customs officers, to such a distance from Leningrad that it could not even be alleged that they could threaten its security. Berlin Behind Moscow.

From Berlin, a correspondent of the “New York Times” reported last night that an armed conflict between Russia and Finland seemed ,to be indicated by Moscow’s diplomatic rupture, and It would find Germany wholly sympathetic toward the aims of the Soviet.

Opinion expressed in the Wilhelmslrasse indicated that the Reich would maintain an attitude of benevolent neutrality.

This meant that Germany would stand aside and allow Russia a free hand, since she felt she was morally aligned with the Soviet, whose attitude towards Finland was considered comparable with the Reich’s viewpoint toward the Rhineland under the Versailles Treaty. Whether Russia and Germany would consult regarding the crisis in the north under their non-aggression pact ' was not then decided.