The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-11-27

junior commander and wounding
seven soldiers and two commanders.
ed Yesterday evening, Molotov
handed the note to Baron A. A. S.
Yrjoe- Koskinen, the Finnish minis
ter here.
The minister said he would for
ward the note to his government,
Withdrawal Of Finnish troops IL to
Is miles from the border, as de-
manded by Molotov, would mean
that they would have to abandon
their little Maginot line" on the
1sthmus between the Gulf OF Fin
land and Lake Ladoga, and open
the gates Of their country to any
invading Russian army.
Show Much Restraint
Molotov said that In spite Of the
Finnish attack, the Soviet COM
manders had showed great restraint
and had not ordered their men to
answer the fire and thus enlarge the
incident.
The alleged attack had followed
violent outburst In the Soviet
press against the Films, particular.
ly Finnish Premier A. j. Cajander.
Pravda, organ OF the Communist
party. said Cajander "wreathes like
a snake whines, rubs tears all
over his dirty face sheds tears
Of grief, crocodile tears, they say,
which are the falsest, vilest, most
disgusting tears in the world .
but still more base and false are
tears shed by a buffoon initiating q
crocodile Reptiles Of this species
have no sharp teeth, no strength,
but are marked with perfidity and
the righteousness Of small beast
Of prey"
This attack followed speech by
Cajander last Friday saying that
Esthonia, Latvia and Lithuania, by
submitting to Russian demands, had
become vassal states OF Russia. He
suggested that Films pow their
fields with rifles always handy.
Wants Him Removed
Pravda demanded that Cajander
be removed from office as a prere-
quisite to reopening Finnish Soviet
negotiations, which which broken of
by the Films two weeks ago when
they failed TO agree, after q month
OF dickerlng, on RuSsias demands for
Finnish territory on the Karelian
iSthmus, for an val base on the
Finnish Hango peninsula, for the
north Finnish port OF Petsamo and
for Finnish Islands In the Gulf OF
Finland.
Throughout these negotiations
Finland has strengthened her de-
lenses, put an estimated 100000
troops on the Soviet border, evacu-
ated the border areas and much OF
the civilian population OF larger cit
les. and mined the entrances to her
hartors.
Text Of Russian Note
The text OF the note Molotov gave
the Finnish minister was:
Mr.. Minister, according to q re.
port Of the general staff OF the Red
army, on Nov. 20 at 3:45 D. m. ar
tillery fire suddenly opened from
Finnish territory against Soviet
troops stationed near the village OF
Manila, Karelian isthmus near the
Finnish border. Altogether seven
cannot shots were fred, as a result
OF which three rank and file and
one Junior commander were killed
and seven rank and file and two
commanders wounded.
Soviet troops having strict orders
not 10 yield 10 any proyocation, re-
Trained from returning the fire.
Informing you OF this, the Soviet
government deems II necessary to
emphasize that during recent nego-
tlations with Tanner ". A. and
Paasikiyi 81. K.) II pointed out the
danger created by concentrations OF
large numbers OF regular Finnish,
troops on the very border near Len
ingrad.
Committed Hostile Act
"At present IN connection with the
fact OF the provocational Shelling Of
Soviet troops ormFinnish tetrfi-
tory. the Soviet government Is CON-
PEELED to say that the concentration
OF Finnish troops near Leningrad
not only creates a menace 10 Len
ingrad but Is In fact a hostile act
against the U. 8. 8. II. which already
has led 10 an attack on Soviet troops
and caused victims.
THE Soviet government Is not in
clined 10 magnify this abominable
act on the part OF Finnish troops,
probably badly managed by the Fin
nish command. But 1t would like
that such abominable facts should
not take place In future.
Therefore the Soviet government,
In resolutely protesting against ev-
erything that happened. proposes
that the government OF Finland
withdraw It's troops without delay
20 TO IS kilometers farther from the
borde o Kiian isthmus, thilSnharetr
border on the Karelian isLhmus, thus
preventing the possibility Of re-
peated provocations.
Accept, Mr.. Minister, the assur-
ance Of my perfect respect.
(signed) Peoples Commissar for
Foreign Affairs. U. 8. 8. r.. Molo-
tow"