Evening star., 1939-12-02
Viipuri Is FinIand's
Second BiggestCit
Transport Center
Port Bombed by Soviet
On ConoI to Interior,
Rail Line to Russia

Thumbnall sketches OF strategic
Finnish areas and certain Finnish
towns invaded by Soviet forces are
released in a special bulletin from
the National Geographic Society.
Moving northward by plane, on foot
and in motorized units, as well as
by warships, the Russians are re-
ported to have fired on the impor-
tant southeast part Of Viipuri (Vi-
borg in Swedish) bombed the cap
ital at Helsinki and the power CEN
ter at Imatra, taken the island OF
Seitskari and attacked the cities Of
Kivennapa and Suojarvi, as well as
various border points north to the
Arctic.
"Viipuri is Finland's second town
in size, ranking after Helsinki," says
the bulletin. THE population, how
ever, is only $4,000. On the direct
rail line from Leningrad to Hell
sinki, Viipuri is highly strategic
communications center of Eastern
Finland. In addition to being stu
ated on the Salinas Canal, which
links the port with inland towns, 1t
is the hub of a network of rail-
ways and motor roads. With the
outer harbor of Uuras, Viipuri is
one of Finland's leading export CEN
ters.
In peacetime, it combines its busy
export trade with the local indus
tries Of operating sawmills, machine
shops. flour mills, soap and tobacco
factories. The present offensive re-
calls the fact that Viipuri has often
suffered the ravages of war. A
heavily fortified walled town Of the
Middle Ages, it was stormed by the
Russians during the 18th century
when the celebrated explosion OF
Viipuri' occurred. According to
Finnish legend. sudden and mag
ically' caused explosion dispersed the
Russians as the defenders poured
over the ramparts barrels Of fam
ing pitch and tar. More than two
centuries later. by the treaty of 1721,
which followed the war known as
the Great Wrath Viipuri was
turned over to Tsarist Russia.
Again, during the 1918 War Of In
dependence after which Finland
was carved from the side of Russia,
the city of Viipuri saw considerable
military action.
Helsinki Modern Capital.
"Helsinki with a population of
about 100000, is $50 miles west OF
Viipuri along the coast of Finland.
1t has already been bombed several
times by the Russians in the present
action. Seat of the government and
heart of the country's cultural and
economic activities, Helsinki is
modern capital. 1t has had long
and often violent history since it
was founded in 1850. Razed again
and again by fire and beset by
plaques, the city was frequently at
tackled from both east and west.
Besides various Russian sieges, dur
ing the Crimean War of the middle
l8OOs Helsinki was bombarded by
a combined British and French fleet.
The American Legation now is re-
ported to be planning to move from
Helsinki to Grankulla. ,Grankulla,
which means pine hill, is a popular
winter sports resort on the cottage
and-villa- lined coastal road which
leads westward from Helsinki to
Turku.
"Ruhr of Finland"
"In the industrial east, the Vuoksi
Valley, containing the important
town Of Imatra, its near neighbor
Enso, and other normally busy CEN
tiers, is vital objective of the Soviet
forces. Situated about 100 miles
north of Leningrad, across the land
bridge of Karelia that connects
Soviet Russia with Finland, the
1matra power station provides elec-
tricity for much of Finland, includ-
ing the entire southern region as
far as the west coast town of Turku.
Copper and iron works in the
vicinity also add to the districts
strategic value. In recent times, a
growing industrial life in this area
has resulted in new cellulose mills,
pulp and board factories, sawmills
and bobbin factories. So active is
the district that it is called the
'Ruhr of Finland
"The Island of Seitskari, reported
already in the hands of the Soviet
fleet, is located in the Gulf Of Fin
land, some 10 miles almost directly
west of the Russian port of Lenin-
grad. An islet only about two miles
long, closely wooded with pine trees,
it lies near the entrance of the mar
row arm of water that opens the way
to Soviet Russia's leading northern
port. Seitskari Island is at present
home to several small Finnish
villages.
Among other spots mentioned in
news flashes from this latest fighting
front are Kivennapa, on high hill
near the Soviet-Finnish southern
frontier, and the eastern town of
6uojarvi, at the bottleneck entrance
of bit of land extending into
Soviet Russia, north of Ladoga,
Europe's largest lake"