Evening star., 1939-12-05

quarters last night reported deep.
ening advances into Finland, Tass
official Russian news agency, an.
nounced rejection of the League in.
vitation on grounds that "the So
Wet Union is not in a state of wal
with Finland and does not threaten
the Finnish people with war"
League machinery for sessions o,
the Council and Assembly, starting
next Saturday and Monday, respec.
lively, was started Sunday on the
request of Rudolf Holsti, Finland!
permanent League delegate, that the
League take all necessary measure.
to check the aggression" of the
Soviet Union.
The League notification to Russia
was telegraphed yesterday ane
quoted from the letter submitted by
Holsti charging that the U. S. S. R
had attacked not only frontier posi-.
tions, but also open towns of Fin.
land, sowing death and devastation
among the civilian population
especially by air attacks"
Russia's snub to the League &C.
companied her refusal of Swedish
efforts to mediate the Russian.
Finnish war-efforts undertaken ir
behalf of the Finnish government
at Helsinki.
The Swedish Minister visited
Premier Foreign Commissar Vyache-
slaff Molotof Saturday and Sunday
nights, seeking an avenue to peace
1t was reported. On each occasion
he received a negative reply.
Last night a Tass communique
said Molotoff had told the Swedish
envoy that Moscow did not recognize
the "so-called government of Fin.
land which already has left Helsink
in an unknown direction, and there
fore there now can be no question o1
any negotiations with this govern
ment'."
The telegram of reply from Molo-
tof to Joseph A. G. Avenol, secre.
tary-general of the League, said the
Moscow government maintain.
peaceful relations with the Demo.
cratic Republic Of Finland with
whose government on December {
1t signed a treaty of mutual assist
ance and friendship.
This treaty settles all questions
which the Soviet government hac
discussed without result with the
delegates of Finland's former gov.
ernment which has now resigned
its powers"
Reference to Rump Regime.
This was a reference to concessions
granted by the Terijoki Peoples
government for Finland set up last
Friday under Russian auspices anc
proclaimed from Moscow. Molo-
toff's message went on:
I'm its declaration of December !
this year the government Of the
Democratic Republic of Finland ad-
dressed to the government of the
U. S. S. r. a request to render the
Democratic Republic Of Finland as.
sistance with military forces ir
order to eliminate by joint efforts
as soon as possible a most dangerous
seat of war created in Finland BY
her former rulers.
Under such circumstances Rudolf
Holsti's appeal to the League of Ma.
tions cannot justify convocation o1
the Council of the League and the
Assembly, especially since persons
on whose behalf Rudolf Holsti is ad-
dressing the League cannot be con-
sidered authorized representatives
of the Finnish people.
"If Notwithstanding the above
considerations the Council of the
League and the Assembly were still
convened to consider Rudolf Holsti's
application, the Soviet government
would not deem it possible to take
part in these assemblies.
"This decision is also supported
by the fact the communication OF
the secretary-general Of the League
of Nations on convocation Of the
Council and Assembly, reproducing
the text Of Holstip offensive and