Evening star., 1939-12-12
Finnish-Soviet Talks
Begged on Hanko,
League Told
Demand for Naval Base
FIotIy Rejected; Other
Concessions Offered
by the Associated Press.

Dy the Associated Press.
:. HELSINKI, Dec. 12.-Finlands S
refusal to give up Hanko, the Fin
nish Gibraltar" was the ultimate
stumbling block in negotiations
which preceded war with Soviet
Russia, the Finnish government
contends.
A white paper presented by Fin
land to the League of Nations
showed the course Of the protracted
but futile parleys with Russia as
follows:
Russia proposed october IA to
lease for 80 years the port of Hanko,
which is on peninsula jutting from
Southwestern Finland into the Bal
tic Sea.
There she intneded to establish a
naval base and a protective garri-
son of 5000 men, including one in
fantry regiment, two anti-aircraft
batteries, two airforce regiments
and one battalion of armored cars.
Artillery at the base could have
blocked the entrance to- the Gulf of
Finland in cooperation with the
naval base already established by
Russia at Baltiski, across the gulf
in Estonia.
Four Islands Offered.
Finland refused to yield Hanko,
but offered to cede Russia the
Islands of Seiskari, Peninsaari, Pa
vansaari and Tytarsaari and secure
the interests of both nations on the
larger island of Hogland (Suur-
saarD.
She also offered to yield part, but
not all, the territory Russia asked
on the Karelian IsthmuS in return
for strip of Russian territory far
ther north.
OF Hanko, a Finnish note of Oc-
tober % said:
THE idea that armed forces of a
foreign power be stationed on Fin
nish territory permanently and for
q long period cannot be accepted
by Finland. These forces could also
be used for an attack on Finland.
Such an arrangement would con-
tinuously create disagreement and
unnecessary 1ffltatlOn.
In replying, Russia offered to sta
tion only 1000 men at Hanko and
limit their presence ito the end of
the war between England and
France and Germany in Europe" "
Russia pointed out she already had
Withdrawn a request for a mutual
assistance pact "in order to enable
Finland to maintain strict neu-
trality."
On November 3 Finland persisted
In refusing to lease Hanko, but
offered wider strip of the Karelian
Isthmus, although still less than
Russia had requested.
Finland would lose areas on the
Continent as we'll as islands, and in
addition territorial waters of i'm
portance to her" the Finnish note
said. The Soviet Union has ad-
mitted that these territories, for
military reasons, are of first-rate
Importance.
Finland, again, would in the ex-
change of territories obtain districts
without corresponding military and
economic value"
Soviet Proposal Rejected.
On November 9 Finland rejected
q Russian proposal that, If Hanko
could not be had, naval base be
made available on islands in the
vicinity of Hanko.
On the same date the Russian
foreign commissar, Vyacheslaft Mo-
lotoff, said Finland had misinter-
preted his proposal, and that he
meant the territory In the district
of Hanko should be sold to Russia,
and if this were impossible, islands
In that region be sold.
On November 10 the Firms re-
fused again. Three days later the
negotiations ended, the Firms ex-
pressing the hope that "at future
date negotiations can be pursued
with results satisfactory to both
parties
On November 80 the Red Army
invaded Finland.