TERMS REJECTED

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24876, 24 April 1944, Page 5

TERMS REJECTED

NO FINNISH PEACE I END OF NEGOTIATIONS REASONS GIVEN TO RUSSIA (Reed. 10.30 p.m.) LONDON, April 23 Russia has informed Finland that peace negotiations have been broken off, says the Moscow radio, quoting M. Vyshinsky, the deputy-Foreign Minister. This followed Finland's intimation that Russia's peace terms were not acceptable. M. Vyshinsky, at a press conference, reviewed the Kusso-Finnish moves since the Finns' initial approach in the middle of February. He stated that Finland, on April 19, submitted through Sweden the following reply to the Russian armistice conditions: Interference with Independence "The Finnish Parliament decided that acceptance of the proposals, which are partly incapable of being carried out for purely technical reasons, would considerably weaken and interfere with the conditions under which Finland can continue to exist a,," an independent State. Acceptance would also impose a burden which, according to unanimous competent opinion, would largely exceed the capacity of the Finnish people. Therefore Finland, which earnestly strives for the establishment of good and stable relations with her great neighbours in the east, regrets that the proposals do not offer any possibility for the realisation of that object." The principal Russian terms were that Finland should pay £150,000,000 as ! reparations, that the Germans should | be expelled or interned before the end I of April, 50 per cent of the Finnish | Army to be demobilised before the end I of May, and I'etsamo to be returned to | Russia. | M. Vyshinsky said Russia yesterday replied: "The Soviet Government has j taken cognisance of the fact that the i Finnish Government, in its reply, rejected the Soviet armistice terms as a j basis for negotiations and so brought ' the negotiations for the armistice to a | close." Approval by Britain M. Vyshinsky added that Britain and j the United States had both been | advised of the Russian Note to Finland breaking off negotiations. Britain had already approved of the Russian reply. He declined to say whether the door was completely closed to further negotiations. "The war, which has now lasted for three years, makes even greater demands on the Finnish people, whose will to fight is being subjected to the hardest test." said Field-Marshal Mannerheim, Commander-in-Chief of the Finnish Army, in a proclamation which is reported by the German news agency. "The enemy," he says, "is increasingly attempting to paralyse the Finnish people's power of resistance by tendentious propaganda. The enemy seeks in this way to achieve what neither force of arms nor air terror succeeded in procuring. The_ Fatherland demands from every Finn continued exertions, readiness for sacrifice and, above a!!, unanimous unity." ADVANCE IN CHINA JAPANESE ATTACKERS RAIL JUNCTION UNDER FIRE (Herd. 0.10 p.m.) CHUNGKING, April XT Reinforced Japanese troops have advanced to the suburbs of Chengchow (Obengbsein) a railway junction on the Peiping-Hankow railway, south ot the Yellow River, in the north of Honan Province. The Japanese now have the city under air and artillery attack. Other enemy columns have moved forward to the west and south. Fifteen hundred Japanese were killed during two days' fighting in this area. An earlier official advice indicates that the Japanese are swiftly encircling Chengchow, says the Associated Press correspondent. The British and American Embassies have ordered their nationals to evacuate the area. The Chinese defenders' escape corridor to j - the south lias been narrowed to 30

A Japanese column from the east is now shelling Chengchow, reports the correspondent. Two other columns have crossed the Peiping-Hankow railway about 20 miles south of Ohengchow and are advancing toward an important highway town and mission. The Chinese have engaged another large force a few miles north-west of Chengchow. Heavy casualties are reported on both sides. } The Japanese are estimated 'to be using between 50,(XX) and 60,000 troops, says a Chinese spokesman. There are indications that some troops are from Manchuria. The spokesman adds he believes the Japanese offensive in Honan is aimed at bolstering the home front morale. The Japanese are also attempting to capture the railway in order to establish an alternative route for the withdrawal of troops south of the Ynngtse, in the event of an Allied landing on the South China coast. The Japanese objectives are also believed to include the seizure of the rich ripening wheat crop in Honan in order to induce a famine among 20,000,000 civilians and hundreds of thousands of soldiers, the spokesman concludes. He recalls that one of the worst famines in China's history occurred in Honan last year. The Centra! News charges the Japanese north-west of Ohonfiehow with using poison gas. FOOD FROM AUSTRALIA CANBERRA, April Australian food shipments to Britain and other parts of the Kmpire and Allied countries up to the end of December were valued at £212.500,000. Of this, food to the value of £129,000.000 went to Britain. This represented o.'i per cent, of Australia's total food exports since the war.