The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-12-13
RUSSIA STARTS
TWO BIG DRIVES
CONTINUED from Page y

NO@AAtAAA9S0 AAQkAA G0SG ~
the Gulf Of Bothnla.
The Suomussalmi corps was re-
ported to be nearing Hyrynsalnai,
and q continued advance would put
It IN position to drive either directly
west toward Uleaborg Of Veer OF
northwestward and seek to meet
the other corps at the railroad
junction OF Rovaniemi, so miles
east Of Tornea at the top Of the
Gulf.
100000 Russians
(The British Exchange Telegraph
reported from Riga that Russia
was flassing 100000 men and L.
600 planes in the Karelian@ Isthmus
preparatory to a crushing offensive
In that southern area. It was be-
lieved, the dispatch said, that the
drive was agreed on yesterday at
q meeting Of Russian military chiefs
at Moscow, including War Commits
sar Klementi Voroshilov and chiefs
Of the Leningrad military area, the
air force and the Baltic feet. These
chieftainS were said to have agreed
that II they did not crush Finland
now the war would continue until
spring..
Reports poured into scandinavian
capitals Of the terrible handicap
under which the Films were fight
Ing, and Of their stubborn, heroic
resistance.
Comparative handsful Of Firms,
armed only with light weapons,
were fighting massed Russian in
fantry backed up by artillery, tanks
and the light armored cars which
the Russians seemed now to be
finding increasingly useful after the
recent heavy SHOWS.
Glad In their long white nantes
to make them invisible against the
snow, and using skis, the Firms
were permitting overwhelmingly
superior bodies of Russians to pass
them in the pine blotched, snow
covered hills and then sweeping out
and attacking them In guerrella
fighting.
The Russians were reported to be
suffering severely from cold and
their supply lines were getting
steadily longer.
But, according to dispatches, the
Firms at present were at most de-
laying the advance OF almost irre-
sistibly more powerful forces.
The Russians were reported to be
resorting more and more to their
light armored cars, able to operate
on hard packed snow. Some Of these
armored cars had been destroyed,
reports said, by little groups of Films
who emerged suddenly, along the
narrow trails through the dense
woods, and bombed them. Finnish
sharpshooters were reported picking
of Russians all along the length
ening Russian lines Of commune
cation. In addition to regularly
mobilized soldiers, farmers along
the course Of the Russian drives
were defending their own home.
steads TO the last, with the troops,
and then accompanying the retreat
to theTwest.
Firms Being Reinforced
Late dispatches said that the
Firms were moving up strong REIN
forcements Of regulars, with ma
chine guns and artillery. But the
Russians were superior in numbers,
In artillery, in anti-tank guns ana
II was indicated that the pressure,
for the moment at least, was prov
Ing too strong for the Firms.
A dispatch to the Stockholm
newspaper Dagens Nyheter quoted
O Finnish commanding general on
the front as admitting that the
Russian pressure had been severe
after their occupation Of Salla.
This general said that he believed
Russia's successes on that front had
been due to Russian violation Of an
agreement effected before the war
started to keep troops at least Is
miles back OF the frontiers. The
Russians, he suggested, put men
near the frontier, In position to
cross into Finland at the outset OF
the war, and thus surprised the
Films.
Dispatches received here said that
the Firms made O desperate resist
ance at Salla, partly because many
heroes Of their war Of independence
against Russia lie buried there.
Il was reported that the church
In which some veterans were bur-
led was destroyed by Russian artil-
lery. The Films were reported TO
be trying TO form new lines west OF
Salla.
Firms Fighting Back
Finnish reinforcement were re-
ported striking back desperately to-
day In q counter offensive against
the Russian army drive across mid
Finland toward the Gulf OF Bothnia
and the Swedish frontier.
Dispatches from the front to the
capitals OF Scandinavia emphasized
severe fighting east and northeast
OF the Finnish town OF Kemijaervi,
about 70 miles from the Russian
frontier, where battle OF import
ance was believed to be developing.
The immediate outcome OF the
fighting was In doubt.
One dispatch to Stockholm re-
ported without official confirmation
that the Films had counter-at-
tackled and recaptured the strate-
gically important town Of Salla, on
the north central front, from which
the Russians were attempting TO
advance via Kemijaervi southwest
toward Tornio and the Gulf OF
Bothnia in order TO cut Finland
In two.