FINLAND'S HOPE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24821, 18 February 1944, Page 3

FINLAND'S HOPE

PEACE WITH RUSSIA ATTITUDE OF THE ALLIES (Reed. 0.45 p.m.) LONDON. Feb. 17 Judging from Finnish newspaper comment) the Finnish Government expects to negotiate a separate peace with Russia, says the diplomatic correspondent of the Times. It is pointed out in Loudon, however, that the Allies cannot regard the Finnish theatre as a separate war and certainly the Germans have never regarded it so. The Finns also appear to disregard the difference between armistice terms and peaco terms. Their newspapers say they will stop fighting only if their independence is preserved and if Finland does not become a war theatre, but the Allies are bound to demand facilities in Finland necessary for pursuing the war against Germany. The Prime Minister. Professor Linkomies, presided at a meeting of the Finnish Cabinet yesterday. He has recovered from his illness and resumed his duties. One Helsinki newspaper yesterday attacked certain other Finnish newspapers for assuming beforehand that any Russian terms would be unacceptable. The paper said: "As the Soviet Union has so far not expressed an official viewpoint at all we have no right to anticipate events or to create an atmosphero unhelpful to Finland's exit from the war." LORD HALIFAX'S SPEECH (Reed. 0.45 p.m.) OTTAWA, Feb. 17 The Quebec Legislative Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution protesting against Lord Halifax's "new Imperialism and dangerous tendencies."