Further Negotiations Possible

Northern Advocate, 2 December 1939, Page 7

Further Negotiations Possible

(Received 2.30 p.m.) LONDON, December 1

The Finnish Legation in London announced that the reconstruction of the Government on a wider basis, to include Conservatives, strengthens the Government internally ,and offers the possibility of resuming negotiations with Russia. The spirit of the army is excellent. Although information regarding developments of the Russo-Finnish situation is scanty, it would appear that the Government has been re-formed on a wider basis under M. Ryti, Governor of the Bank of Finland. The Finnish Legation in London states that there is no question of Finnish surrender. The Russian advance has been stepped, and there has been no landing from warships, states a Britsh Official Wireless message. The new Premier, M. Ryti, is well known in London, where he has been a frequent visitor. It is understood that M. Ryti’s Government would be prepared to enter into relations with the Soviet on the basis of a military standstill. New Finnish Government.

This view gains confirmation from an announcement by the Moscow radio of the formation of what purports to be a new Finnish Government at Tor ij old. In this news, the Soviet’s Premier and Foreign Commissar (M. Molotoff) let it be understood that, given an orientation of Finnish policy in the direction desired by Moscow, the Soviet Government would be willing ,to allow a reunion of the Karelian population of the Soviet Union with the Karelians of Finland, under what M. Molotoff was pleased to describe as an independent Finnish Government. Zinoviev Letter Recalled. It has not been overlooked in Britain that the Premier of the new and presumably “independent’*' Soviet Government which has been formed at Terijoki, is M. Kussiem, who was for some years secretary of the Comintern. and is remembered in Briiaitt as one of the signatories of the “Zinoviev Letter,” which figured so prominently at the general election 15 years ago. Reports from the British Minister at Helsinki (Mr T. M. Snow) indicate that the Finnish Government has at present no intention of evacuating the capital .and Mr Snow is remaining at his post. Sweden’s Services, A message from Copenhagen says the Finnish Foreign Office has announced that M. Ryti, the new Premier, will take advantage of President Roosevelt’s good offices, and has asked Sweden to handle Finland’s interests in Moscow, where semi-official circles have refused to comment on the new Government.

It was stated that they had no knowledge of any truce.