ARMISTICE TO FINLAND

Waikato Times, Volume 195, Issue 22460, 22 September 1944, Page 3

ARMISTICE TO FINLAND

SHIPS HANDED OVER RELEASE OF PRISONERS (United Press Assn.—F.lee. Tol. Copyright (Received Sept. 22, 1 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 21 The Moscow radio announces armistice terms with Finland which differ in some respects from those released in Helsinki yesterday. The additional terms are:— (1) Soviet and Allied prisoners of war and interned civilians are to be repatriated immediately, and Finnish prisoners and internees are to be repatriated. (2) Finland is to restore all pre[war rights to Allied subjects. (3) Finland is to co-operate with the Allies in the arrest of war criminals. (4) Property taken from Russia by the Finns during the war is to be returned immediately. (5) Finland is to hand over German war equipment, including warships and merchant ships. (6) No German or Hungarian property is to be exported without permission from the Soviet Command. (7) All Allied ships are to be handed over immediately. (8) Finland is to place materials and products at the Allies’ disposal for the war. Discrimination Abolished (9) Persons arrested for Allied sympathies or for working for the Allies are to be released immediately and racial discriminations are to be abolished. (10) Fascist, political, military and semi-military organisations are to be dissolved and not allowed in future. (11) An Allied Control Commission is to control the fulfilment of the armistice terms. i (12) The Aaland Islands agreement of 1940 is to be restored. United Nations concerned in the armistice agreement concluded between Finland, Russia and Britain are Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, India, Czechoslovakia and Bolivia. The terms do not differ j much from those offered Finland last jyear. It is commented that since reijecting those terms Finland has continued short-sightedly to provide aid and comfort to Russia’s enemies, and even promised not to conclude a .separate peace without German agreement. It is not surprising, therefore, that Russia has insisted on rather stricter territorial guarantees for Finland’s good behaviour. The settlement is much more than a cessation of hostilities. A basis is laid for future permanent relations between Russia and Finland. The Finns can now be assured that they are to retain their independence, subject to the maintenance of a close connection with Russia. As a guarantee that this indispensable connection will be maintained Russia will possess a base for her armed forces in a strategic position at Porkala. New Finnish Cabinet

Helsinki reports quoted by the German radio state that M. Urho Castren, President of the Supreme Administrative Court, has been appointed Prime Minister of the new Finnish Government in succession to M. Hackzell, who is still seriously ill in Moscow.

The trade union leader, M. Vupri, and the former Minister of Social Affairs, M. Fagerholm, are included in the Cabinet as leaders of the peace opposition. Moscow newspapers to-day accuse the Finnish Government of delay in carrying out the preliminary Armistice conditions regarding the withdrawal of Germans from Finland. The Izvestia alleges that although a week has passed since September 15, the date which the Germans were to be removed from the country, not a single soldier has been disarmed or handed over to the Soviet. The Finnish authorities, moreover, are helping the Germans to get out witai out being disarmed. The Pravda, repeating the same charges, adds: “No further delay in this matter can be countenanced.” The Red Star says that the Germans are still in Petsamo.