Finland's Darkest Hour

Southland Times, Issue 23989, 2 December 1939, Page 4

Finland's Darkest Hour

AT the time of writing it is too early to know if the resignation of the Finnish Government meant anything more than an attempt to remove the last pretext for Soviet aggression. According to the leaflets dropped by Russian planes before they began to unload bombs the Finns were informed that their disaster was “due to wrong leadership.” If this were true the Government has taken steps to provide the country with new leaders and at the same time to give Stalin an opportunity for arranging a peaceful settlement. The political leaders were called upon to face a terrible responsibility. Even _as they met to make their decision the bombers were over Helsinki, Soviet troops were advancing from the frontier, and units of the Red Fleet were shelling the eastern parts of the Gulf of Finland. Many casualties and the destruction of valuable property had been reported, and delay meant the risk of death and injury to hundreds of civilians. From the beginning the Finnish Government had to realize that its tiny army was facing overwhelming odds. Against the huge Soviet Air Force its own few machines and anti-aircraft batteries must quickly become ineffective. Great damage was done by the bombers; if only a small part of Russia’s raiding strength were used the results would be a kind to oppress the imagination. By resigning in an hour of grave national danger the Government has made a* last effort to placate Russia. But if Stalin had any intention of arranging a just settlement he could have done so before a shot was fired, since the Finns had already senf. a conciliatory message when the nonaggression pact was denounced. Whatever superficial or temporary concessions may now be made there is small reason to believe that Stalin will be satisfied with anything less than a complete submission. Men who use the methods of Nazism are not generous to their ’ victims, and the Finnish leaders will be doubly popular because world opinion has recognized the justice of their cause. The best that can be expected is that the agony of this small country will be brief. That a longer ordeal of another kind will have to be faced in the future is only too certain. Once Sovietism is established in Finland another outpost of democracy will vanish from the edge of the totalitarian desert. And again there will have been a triumph for terrorism.