SUDDEN ACTION BY SOVIET

Southland Times, Issue 23988, 1 December 1939, Page 7

SUDDEN ACTION BY SOVIET

CHANCES FOR PEACE NEGLECTED (By Radio—l.ls a.m.) LONDON, November 30. When the Soviet Prime Minister and Commissar for Foreign Affairs (M. Viaclieslav Molotov) made the decision to attack Finland, there were two avenues for peaceful settlement open to him. In the first place he made his decision without waiting for the Finnish Note replying to the denunciation of the pact. M. Molotov was told that the Note would soon be ready for presentation to him, but refused to wait. This Finnish Note conveyed points of a conciliatory nature, which included the offer of withdrawal of troops that were represented as a “menace to Leningrad.” M. Molotov’s other way to a peaceful settlement was’through the good offices of the United States Government Mr Cordell Hull, Secretary of State, announced that his Government, without becoming too much involved, would be glad to extend its good offices if both countries were agreeable. This announcement was warmly welcomed in Britain and France.

Excuses offered by M. Molotov for the invasion of Finland and which are not accepted outside the Soviet, were that Finland had provoked Russia and that her troops threatened the security of Leningrad. British and French newspaper comment refers to the “act of wanton aggression of which Russia is guilty.” Sympathy for Finland is extended by the Scandinavian countries and European countries, including. Italy and Spain. It is suggested that the Russian military authorities decided on an immediate attack because of the possibility of the Gulf of Finland freezing over. The Finnish reply emphasized that on the Finnish side of the frontier only frontier guard forces had been stationed, which did not constitute any threat against Leningrad’s security, for which reason the denunciation of the nonaggression treaty was not justified, stated an earlier message. The reply pointed out that under jhe treaty both parties agreed to resort exclusively to pacific means of settling any disputes of whatever nature or origin which arose between them. The Finnish Government accordingly proposed that a conciliation commission be summoned immediately in order to examine the present controversy. Alternatively, Finland was ready to submit the dispute to neutral arbitration. The reply adds that in order to refute the Soviet Government’s allega 7 tions that Finland adopted a hostile attitude towards the Soviet and to prove

its sincere desire for a friendly agreement, the Finnish Government was ready to negotiate for the withdrawal of troops from the Karelian Isthmus, with the exception of the frontier Customs officers, to such a distance from Leningrad that it could not even be alleged that they threatened its security. The Moscow correspondent of the Associated Press of America says that despite the rupture of diplomatic relations the Finnish reply was delivered to the Soviet Government 10 minutes after midnight, almost three hours after M. Molotov’s announcement. The Finnish Minister previously declared that he did not intend to deliver it.