WORLD-WIDE HORROR

Southland Times, Issue 23989, 2 December 1939, Page 5

WORLD-WIDE HORROR

SOVIET ROUNDLY CONDEMNED FURTHER AGGRESSION FEARED ITALIANS’ SPONTANEOUS ANGER (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Rec. December 1, 8.30 p.m.) LONDON, November 30. The wave of horror and revulsion which was the first reaction throughout Europe to the Soviet barbarity has quickly given place to fears in north and south Europe of new aggressions. The Press of Britain and France conjecture what are Russia’s further purposes in Scandinavia and the possibility of Herr Hitler using the developments diplomatically and strategically in the western war. Germany has remained officially silent, but the invasion is obviously a further strain on loyalty to the Government, particularly in the army, many of whose officers fought for Finnish independence and the Navy which sees the Baltic becoming a Russian lake.

It is difficult to recall any international incident which has whipped up such a wave of spontaneous anger in Rome. If it were geographically possible, thousands of Italians would rush to the aid of Finland. Political circles see the invasion as a further step in the plan begun when Russia walked into Poland, of which the next steps may be the Balkans.

The Swedish Government maintained silence except to indicate full preparedness, but the public undisguisedly expressed sympathy with the attacked and hatred towards the attacker. Crowds gathered at newspaper offices and read the bulletins. There were frequent individual outbursts of indignation. Women burst into tears when the bombing of Helsinki was announced. Only Government prohibition will prevent many Swedes, Danes and Norwegians from going, to Finland to volunteer.

Indignation rose throughout Holland. Crowds smashed the windows of the communist newspaper Volks Dagblad and also a Russian book shop, for which a man was arrested.

In Oslo the newspaper Aftenposzen says: “We are forced to be mere onlookers, but we can at least express sympathy with Finland and abhorrence of highwaymen. The Madrid newspaper A.B.C. says: “The invasion demonstrates the sacred character of the Spanish crusade against the enemy of civilization and Christianity. , The New York Times, in an editorial, says that the outer world is peculiarly shaken by this latest outrage—invasion with no pretence or excuse beyond a burglar’s desire to possess other’s property. One thing is clear .... the victim of the aggression will not be the big casualty in this brazen war. The great edifice that is crumbling is built of • moving slogans, pretensions, promises and dreams—the dreams of those looking at Moscow as the capital of the world proletariat .... the bombs raining on Finnish workers will finally explode the mighty .illusion. The defeat will not be Finland’s. It will be the defeat of the Russian Revolution and the power of the idea giving the Communist International what dominion it had.

The New York Herald-Tribune, in a leading article says that what the United States can and should do is for the future to decide. The Americans were never so free of war excitement or firmer resolved to maintain peace as long as they safely can, but they must accept the truth. The forces of the evil Russian-German Alliance which have been unleashed threaten not only democratic Europe, but the whole civilized world. However. remote the United States hopes to remain from the actual hostilities, she owes a duty to decent opinion to express horror and detestation at the latest totalitarian crime.

America greeted the Russian invasion with complete condemnation and expressions of revulsion at the method and manner. At least one ranking Senator, Senator W. H. King (Democrat), asked the United

States to sever diplomatic relations with Russia, declaring that he

hoped “my country no longer will grasp the bloody hand of Stalin.”

Officials generally took a grave view of the situation and, following a conference between the President (Mr Franklin D. Roosevelt) and the Secretary of State (Mr Cordell Hull) on the matter, it was indicated that the President may summon the Legislative leaders of both parties for a discussion of policy. The possible courses of American action are indicated as follows:—

Application of the Neutrality Law. Recall of the American Ambassador in Moscow.

The severance of diplomatic relations.

The Tokyo correspondent of the United Press of America says that the Japanese newspapers sympathize with Finland, giving a warning of the small value of Soviet non-aggression pacts. The Nichi Nichi Shimbunsees an ultimate threat to Germany. The Yomiuro Shimbun says: “The Soviet attitude to Finland-is a lesson to Japan, which is also Russians neighbour.”