Evening star., 1939-12-17
Russo-FinnishW War
Linked 10 German.
Peace Move
ls.s.
Soviets and Nozis
Were Mis|ed,
Writer Is Told
BY WALTER DURANTY

BY WALTER DURANTY.
STOCKHOLM, Dec. 16 (N.A.NA.
by Radio Yesterday I was able tc
ascertain, through an authoritative
source, which I cannot disclose, the
reasons why Russia attacked Fin
land and why it will not be clear
whether Russia and Germany are
marching together or not. It is q
fantastic story, but all this war is
fantastic.
My informant declares the Rus
sian attack on Finland was really
Germanys peace move. That
seemed extremely absurd, and l
think so. but my informant, who,
assure you, knows what he is
talking about, continued:
"You have to understand that
Germany did not want war against
France and Britain and did not
think they would fight for Poland.
Once the war started. the Germans
wanted peace. Thereupon, they
tried to bring pressure on the neu-
trails, Italy first, then Holland, Bel
gium and Switzerland.
Pressure on Neutrals.
"Count Ciano went to Germany,
but Mussolini refused to put forth
the German peace offer. Then the
Germans tried pressure on the three
other neutrals by threats of inva-
sion. That also failed to work, and
meanwhile it became clear that the
British resolution to fight the war
to finish was stiff-necked."
I am sure that is true because
the atmosphere" in London last
week was quite other than it had
been two months earlier: that is to
say. they have realized at least
that they mean business.
80 the next pressure" my in
formant continued, was put on
Finland. but this time by the Rus
slams. That conceded with Russian
desires, because the Russians are
afraid-probably wrongly, but afraid
of an ultimate allied and German
combination against the U. S. S. R.
For that reason, Russia wanted to
occupy a strong position in Fin
land, notably Hanko, in much the
same way as she occupied positions
in Latvia and Estonia.
Served German Aims.
THAT served the German aims,
as I said before, because the Ger
mans hoped the Russian threat to
Finland would scare France and
Britain toward readiness to deal
with Germany in order to counter
act the Bolshevik danger. And also
1t would affect the Scandinavian
neutrals in similar way.
II know this sounds too Machia-
vellian to be true, but think it is
how things happened. The Rus
SLAMS, you must understand, wanted
defensive points in Finland which
might ultimately be used against
Germany. Nevertheless, the Rus
slams were still willing to play the
German game. which they knew was
the German game. because for the
time being it was their game, too.
THAT might indicate a measure
of 'Russo-German collaboration or
cooperation, or whatever you care
to call it.
Russians Made One Error.
But the Russians made one error.
They had been LED to believe by
their representatives in Finland and
by Finnish Communists that Fin
land would net resist any more than
Latvia and Estonia. When Finland
showed signs at Moscow of refusing
to accept the Soviet demands,
Joseph Stain himself, who attended
seven out of eight meetings between
the Finnish ENJOYS and Soviet Pre-
mier Moloto1, suddenly said, In
that case, nizhevo nj booget'-
there's nothing doing"
From that moment, my informant
declared, he knew war was newt
able.
ITO clinch matters" he said, "the
Russians tried final fright-attack
by bombing Helsinki, which, instead
of making the Firms give way,
steeled them to resistance. The Rus
sian excuse for beginning hostilities
was an alleged Finnish lombard
ment Of the Russian frontier village
Of Manila, few miles from Teri
joki. AS it happened, my friend,
Herbert Elliston, of the Christian
Science Monitor, was lunching with
a Finnish outpost at that very point
on November 20, the day before the
war began, and heard the radio talk
ing about this bombardment. But
there was no such bombardment,
and all was quiet"
Peace Plan Faded.
At this point, my informant said,
"the German peace plan faded from
the picture and the Russians went
ahead in their erroneous idea that
Finland would fall like a ripe plum.
Il do not think" he continued.
"that the Germans contemplated
such a possibility mean a real
war between Russia and Finland
and now I do not think they like
1t at all. But whether that will
mean they will allow Sweden or any
one else to give material aid to Fin
land is something which cannot be
OF course, this is one of the most
burning questions in Sweden, how
soon and to what extent material
assistance"-that phrase, be it re-
membered, was embodied in the dec
lAration of the new Swedish govern
ment-will be given to Finland.
Predicts Aid Soon.
I am inclined to think that. de-
spite all risks and perils, it will be
given soon. That will be because
the Swedes have stirred and burst
the ice of pacifism which has bound
them for more than 100 years and
are beginning to say, 1T is better to
die fighting than to accept any alien
S,AlyA hA ~ L> ! -