RUSSIANS STRENGTHEN DEFENCES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 12 January 1940, Page 5

RUSSIANS STRENGTHEN DEFENCES

ATTACKS ON PETSAMO AND SALLA REPULSED BOMBS FALL ON GULF OF FINLAND COAST tUnited Press Association— By Electric Telegraph—Copyright] (Received 12th January, 10.50 a.m.) HELSINKI, llth January. A communique states: “Russian attacks on Petsamo and Salla were repulsed. The Russians bombed the Gulf of Finland coast, injuring six women. The Russians are strengthening their defences on the Karelian Isthmus. “We dispersed a battalion, killing 200 and capturing 40 men at Ruhtinaaki, north-west of Lake Ladoga. Our troops are advancing on Raate and have cleared the area to the frontier from Soumussalmi. Enemy aeroplanes carried out minor unsuccessful raids on coastal objectives. The Finnish forts near Lake Ladoga and Koivisto participated in land operations.” The situation after the past few days’ fighting can be summed up as a standstill in the far north because of the adverse weather and on the Mannerheim Line because of the inability of the Russians to attack the fortifications with any hope of success. In the central sector fighting is still continuing on a heavy scale at Salla and also north of Lake Ladoga. Here the Finns are said to be holding a line approximately to their frontier. All reports are agreed on the heavy quality of the fighting at Salla. According to one report the Russians are putting up stiffer resistance, but other sources state that the Russians are cut off from their food supplies and are starving and freezing to death.

It is reported from Italian sources that the railway between Leningrad and Murmansk, the Russian port in the Arctic, has again been cut by Finnish patrols at a number of points. There are signs that the recent spell of bitterly cold weather has ended. The temperature has risen, but is now inclined to fall. This may be a prelude to a heavy fall of snow. Members of the Soviet Women’s Secret Service Agency, it it stated, have been captured after being landed by parachute behind the Finnish lines.

NINTH ARMY CORPS ANNIHILATED A correspondent of the British United Press with the Finnish north-eastern army says that the Finns defeated and practically annihilated the Russian Ninth Army corps, comprising' about 50,000 men, during battles between 24th December and 7th January, overthrowing the Russian 163rd, 164th and 44th divisions. It is now learnedd that when the 163rd Russian division was surrounded and destroyed the 44th division was only a few miles away. After defeating the 163rd division, the Finns threw in all their forces against the 44th division. The remnants of both divisions are now being driven back over the frontier. A correspondent states that for four miles along the road in this sector Russian dead were strewn. The road was so crowded with war materials that it was hardly possible to move. The Finns are now building defences in this area. The tank traps consist of sawing through trees at a height of six feet and allowing them to fall in the direction from which attacks are expected. LABOUR MISSION TO EXAMINE SITUATION IN FINLAND LONDON, 10th January. The British National Council of Labour, in response to an Invitation, is sending Sir Walter Citrine (secretary of the Trade Union Congress), Mr P. J. Noel-Baker (Labour Party), and Br John Downie (Co-operative Unions) to examine the situation in Finland and also to contact the Labour movements in Scandinavia. RUSH OF VOLUNTEERS IN SWEDEN STOCKHOLM, 10th January. There was a rush of volunteers to-day as the result of the recent Finnish victory at Soumussalmi. CREDITS FROM U.S.A. FINLAND AND NORWAY To help Norway to buy American agricultural products and other gooda, the United States Reconstruction Corporation and the Export and Import Bank are to provide credit up to £10,000,000. A similar credit was grunted to Finland just after the Soviet invasion began. The Republican leader in the United States House of Representatives, Mr Hamilton Fish, is moving that £4,00,000 should be spent on Finnish relief. It is provided in the resolution that the credit must be used for the purchase and transport of food and clothing and not for armaments. —By radio. WHITE PAPER ON TALKS IN MOSCOW When the House of Commons meets next Tuesday it is expected that the White Paper dealing with the Anglo-French-Russian negotiations will be available to members. It will reveal the full story of the breakdown in the Moscow talks, the reason being the Soviet attitude toward the Baltic States —By radio. SOVIET SURGEONS FIND NEW METHOD OF TREATING WOUNDS GRAFTING OF SKIN (Received 12th January, 11.20 a.m.) MOSCOW, llth aJnuary. The Press says that Soviet surgeons have found a new method of treating wounds in the Russo-Finnish war. Chemically treated skin from the bodies of men recently killed is grafted onto the wounded men. It relieves pain within three hours and heals in fifteen days. It is also claimed that extraordinary Successes have been achieved with the transfusion of blood from the dead. SWEDEN’S HELP COLLABORATION OF NEUTRAL COUNTRIES ESSENTIAL TO DEFEND COMMON , INTERESTS (Received 12th January, 11.30 a.m.) i STOCKHOLM, ltlh January. King Gustav, opening Parliament, : said: “Sweden will give Finland all possible material humanitarian help. The <

collaboration of neutral countries is essential to defend common interests. I hope it will be equally strong in tht service of a general peace, and will b« ready to contribute its efforts to the reestablishment of peace.”