RUSSIA'S TERMS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24828, 26 February 1944, Page 7

RUSSIA'S TERMS

PEACE FOR FINLAND AN UNOFFICIAL REPORT (Reed. 9.15 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 25 The Stockholm Dagens Nyheter's London correspondent, quoting nonBritish unofficial sources, says that Russia's armistice terms to Finland are : Firstly, return to the frontier fixed after 1940 ; secondly, no change in the Finnish Government; thirdly, demobilisation of the Finnish Army ; fourthly, the internment of German troops in Finland for the duration of the war.

If Finland desires, Russian troops will enter Finland to help put the Germans under control, and if Finland accepts the Red Army's help Russia will guarantee to withdraw after the war. The correspondent says the question of reparations would be discussed later. "If anyone wants peace, I am that man, but Finland cannot accept any conditions," .said M. Tanner, actingPrime Minister of Finland, who was quoted by the Finnish radio as saying that Finland was disposed to withdraw from the war if she obtained acceptable conditions. M. Tanner added: ''lf the terms are not acceptable, we will fight on with clenched teeth. If acceptable, we accept them immediately." RELIEF OF KRIVOI ROG MANY RUSSIANS IN MINES (Reed. 5.35 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 24 A continuation of the Russian advance toward Nikolaev is expected when the Soviet forces have had time to regroup after the capture of Krivoi Rog. It is thought a large number of the enemy troops in tlmt area are Rumanian and therefore not of such high quality or so skilled in fighting retreats' as their German allies. Clouds of smoke still hang over Krivoi Rog, savs Router's correspondent in Moscow.'The Germans blew up the main buildings before the Russians drove them out. and also mined the entrances to the iron ore mines, from which thousands of Russian miners are still emerging. They hid for weeks in order to escape deportation to Germany. Rescue work is proceeding in one mine, the entrance to which the Germans blocked after the miners refused to come up. The authorities are unaware how many miners are still living. The -Germans* are estimated to have shot iffoOO citizens of Krivoi Rog, and are stated to have thrown many bodies down mine shafts. They also throw grenades and fired rifles down the shafts of other mines where Russians were hiding.