Evening star., 1939-12-28

which they are reported to be as
sembling against Finland. Here
they can put in, and keep on put
ting in, battalion after battalion
and division after division, until
they break through by sheer weight
of numbers as against foe which
has no such inexhaustible reservoir
of requirements, or until the mount
ing toll of casualties brings about
internal revolt against continuance
of the slaughter. The front is a
very narrow one, cramped between
Lake Ladoga and the Gulf of Fin
land. Frontal attacks will be costly,
will gain ground df at alb but
slowly despite numbers. On the
northern flank, one attempt to go
around Lake Ladoga already has
been stopped and driven back. Any
renewal Of that attempt will run
into the old nightmare Of gradually
extending communications, winter
weather, Firms operating on in
terror lines.
On the gulf flank, the persistent
hammering of the Soviet feet at the
Finnish coast defenses on Koivisto
Island is perhaps a tentative move
toward trying to land behind the
Finnish lines, but ice will bring that
to stop very soon if it has not done
so already. Frontal attack is about
all that remains.
If Stain wants Finland he is 60
ing to have to pay price for it.,
perhaps in the end far greater
price than he thought when he so
ightheartedly ordered his generals
reluctant though they must have
been, if they had any degree of
military competency to the attack.
Britain Reported Sending Planes.
Meanwhile, from the outer world
assistance is coming to Finland
We do not know the extent of that
assistance, but it is reported that
Britain is sending her second line
planes. and this checks with a re-
port that shadow factory methods
and freezing of models is so STEP
ping up British production Of newer
types as to leave little room for
doubt as to the safety of sending
some of the older but still service
able machines to the Films Swedish
volunteers are coming. and Swedish
money, food and munitions.
The position of the Swedish gov
ernment is becoming. in historical
perspective. much like that of
Gustavus Adolphus in the Thirty
Years War. 1t will be recalled that
the great Swedish King and general
realized as early as 1923 that he
was going to have to intervene. but
he did not do so until 1880, when
it was plain that unless he took the
offensive, the cause Of the Protestant
states of Germany was irretrievably
lost, and that Sweden would then
assuredly have to face attack by
the whole weight of the imperial
forces. Faced with this decision
offensive war now, at the side OF
allies who might yet be saved, or
defensive war later and alone
Gustavus struck, with what brilliant
success every schoolboy knows,
though he had to override the ad-
vice of his great minister, Oxen
Stierna.
Today Sweden is faced with a
similar decision and there seems to
be a rising popular demand in
Sweden for action now, while yet
there is time. But what Germany's
attitude and action would be in such
a case remains in doubt. Perhaps
the final decision will turn on how
much and how quickly the allies are
willing and able to support the
Scandinavian powers if the latter,
coming to Finland's aid, find them
selves attacked by Germany.
'fCopyrighted. 1899, by New York
Tribune. Inc)