EXTENDING THE WAR.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 January 1940, Page 4

EXTENDING THE WAR.

THERE are some visible dangers that the present scope of the war may be extended by the development ol Russian aggression in Finland, or in other areas which have been mentioned in the cablegrams recently, such as the Balkans, the Caucasus, Persia, or Afghanistan. At the same lime, it is not only from lhe Allied standpoint that the outlook is complicated by these possibilities.

With many stories afloat, for instance, of impending Russian aggression, in. the Balkans or further has taken occasion to proclaim that she will never allow Bolshin ism to cross the Carpathians. Whatever the precise value ol that declaration may be, it is evidently not calculated Io eomloit Italy’s Axis partner or that partner’s Bolshevik ally.

Interesting considerations arise, too, in regard to Germany s reported “warning” that “she might enter the Russo-Finnish conflict if British soldiers appeared on Finnish soil or the Allied shipment of munitions to Finland reached decisive proportions.” It is not al all unlikely that Germany feels herself to be capable of making a much more effective attack on Finland than Russia has thus far been able to make. Whether the Soviet would welcome German intervention in Finland is, however, another and an entirely different question.

Apart from the fact that it would entail a humiliating confession of incompetence, the aei-eptanee by the Soviet ol (terman assistance against Finland rather obviously would endanger the far-reaching gains Russia has made in the Baltic during' the last few months in establishing military and naval command over the Baltic States. Whatever else they may involve, the Russian domination of the Baltic. States and invasion of Finland most certainly are intended to establish safeguards against attack by Germany.

The facts plainly suggest that in offering tentatively to assist Russia against Finland, the Nazi dictatorship is really intent on reopening the whole question of Baltic domination. Whatever difficulties Russia may encounter in Finland, and however much these difficulties may be increased by. Allied assistance to the Finns in their valiant struggle for existence, it will be surprising if the Soviet shows any sign of even considering acceptance of the German offer.