SOVIET PLAN FOR FUTURE

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

SOVIET PLAN FOR FUTURE

BESSARABIA MAY BE TAKEN OVER POSSIBLE ATTACKS ON JAPAN AIR BASES IN CHINA STRENGTHENED (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received December 1, 9.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, December 1. The Washington correspondent of The New York Times says that diplomatic reports indicate a quick move to take over Bessarabia after the attack on Finland. The Soviet has strengthened her air bases in China, including a base at an altitude of 10,000 feet at Hwelyiiar, northward of the Tienshan Mountains, where training in high altitude flying is being carried out, and also, at Hami, Ansi, Kuuchuan, Winwei and Lanchow, hinting air attacks on Japan proper in the spring-time in an attempt to force an agreement on zones of influence in China. Russian aeroplanes and pilots are reported to be at Chentu, northward of Nanning, threatening an attack on the Japanese in China if they decline to negotiate. “FINLAND ABSOLUTELY UNITED” FURTHER FIGHTING MAY BE IN FORESTS (Received December 1, 6.30 pan.) LONDON, .November 30. ■ M. Georg Gripenberg, the Finnish Minister in London, said that the whole of Finland was absolutely united. “We have our army at war-time strength of 500,000, a small air force, a small navy of two coastal defence ships and a few torpedo boats and submarines,” he said. “Our defence is constructed some distance from the frontier, and if there is further fighting it will be in the forests.” FOREIGN MINISTER INDIGNANT COPENHAGEN, December 1. With his sentences punctuated by the sound of bombs and screaming sirens, the Helsinki correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain telephoned an interview with M. Eljas Erkko, in which the Finnish Foreign Minister branded the invasion as 1 ‘‘the purest aggression imaginable.” “We have shown our willingness to find a peaceful solution,” he said. “To the last Russia gives the pretext that we invaded Soviet territory. We have done nothing of the kind and the fact that our border troops were standing by for a possible Russian attack has been justified by today’s events. Russia had no right to denounce the Non-Aggres-sion Pact. According to the treaty conciliation should ...” Here the telephone was cut off. NEW ZEALAND PILOTS KILLED LONDON, November 30. Two more New Zealand members of the Royal Air Force have been killed on active service. They were Pilot Keith Hamilton, of Gisborne, and Pilot-Officer Bryan Graham, of Papakura.