NORTHERN STATES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24254, 23 March 1940, Page 11

NORTHERN STATES

PROPOSED ALLIANCE SOVIET'S OBJECTION BREACH OF TREATY TERMS NEW DEMANDS ON FINLAND (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) LONDON, Mar. 20. (Received Mar. 22, at 8 p.m.) The Moscow radio has announced that the conclusion of a defensive alliance between Finland and Sweden and Norway would be directly incompatible with the Russian-Finnish treaty. Norway's politics are directed against the Soviet Union. The Swedish Minister of Foreign Afl'airs, M. Gunther, said: " The Moscow statement is founded on a misconception. The evisaged Scandinavian pact would be purely defensive."

The Finnish Minister of Foreign Affairs, M. Tanner, said: "There must be some misunderstanding. The object of the proposed alliance is solely concerned with the neutrality of the countries concerned. There is no reason to regard an alliance in the manner the radio indicated."

The Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, M. Koht, said Moscow was wrong in believing that the Scandinavian negotiations had been begun.

A message from Stockholm states that the Tidningen's Moscow correspondent says the Soviet has increased the territorial demands on Finland. The Kremlin informed M. Passikivi when later he arrived to ratify the peace treaty on March 19 that it would be necessary to e.xtend the Russian frontiers further- westward than originally planned.. The Finns realise that they have no alternative but to comply. ,