The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-12-01

The report of the bombing of
Helsingfors had reached here by
telephone from Turku (Aabo). The
report was that four Soviet planes
participated in the raid this morn
ing but no details were given. Tel
ephone service between Tukru and
Helsingfors was interrupted later,
and it was feared that an air
alarm was responsible.
COPENHAGEN, DENIM ARK,
Dec. 1-(UP)-Russian warships
heavily bonbarded a Finnish fort
near Hangoe Island today and the
Finnish defenders replied with
cannon fire, the newspaper Ekstra-
bladet's Hangoe correspondent re-
ported.
The Soviet warships were so far
Off shore they could hardly be
seen from Hangoe, the dispatch
said. Up to noon. only one Soviet
shell had struck the fort and the
damage was slight.
LONDON. Dec. 1.-tUP) - The
Finnish steamer Mercator, 1880
tons, bound for Finland with q
cargo of wool. struck a mine and
sank off the Scottish coast today.
Thirty-five persons we're rescued
and at least one was missing.
The survivors included the wife
OF the mate who. with her hus-
band and II members Of the crew,
were rescued by a coastal lifeboat.
Other boats picked up the captain
and a score OF men from the Mer-
Gator.
The Mercator, built in 1904. was
owned by the Finiand-Amerika
line and was registered out Of
Helsingfors.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1-(UP)-
The state department was advised
today by the American legation at
Helsingfors that numerous Amer
leans In the Finnish capital were
being evacuated TO the legations
emergency quarters at Badgran-
kulla.
GLOUCESTER, MASS, Dec. l..
-tUP)-Instead of celebrating the
22nd anniversary Of Finland's in
dependence Sunday as planned,
the 1900 members Of the Cape Ann
Finnish colony will organize a cam
paign for funds TO defend their
mother country against the Soviet
invasion.
MOSCOW, Dec. 1.-UP)-It
was reported without confirmation
today that the Finnish legation
here had requested the German
legation here 10 ask Germany to
mediate In the Soviet Finnish con-
fiict.
HELSINGFORS, Dec. 1.-CUP)
Soviet warships were reported
to have started heavy lombard
ment on the port Of Hangoe.
HELSINGFORS, Dec. l.-CUP)
--(UP)-(By telephone 10 Cop
enhagen)-Sources close to the
foreign Office reported today that
Risto Ryti, governor of the Bank
Of Finland, has been selected as
the new premier Of Finland. Ryti
has been governor OF the Bank
OF Finland since 1923.
The foreign office sources said
the new government could be ex-
pected to take advantage Of the
United States offer Of its good Of
fices
The new government, 1t was
expected, would attempt TO estab-
lish contact with the Kremlin in
Moscow through an unnamed in.
termediary this afternoon.
Finland. 1t was reported. has
asked Sweden TO handle Flnland's
interests In Moscow.
BERLIN, Dec. 1.-(UP)-Ger-
man submarines and mines have
sunk 1914 British and neutral ships
totaling 735,768 tons between the
start Of the wal and Nov. 20.
was announced officially today.
The Germans said that of the
total number of ships they claimed
to have destroyed, 1t confirmed
that 162 vessels totaling 639.689
tons were sunk. OF these So were
neutral ships. Destruction OF the
remaining 80 ships. which would
make the total of 1914, has not been
confirmed.
The announcement said that ac-
tually the total is even higher
because many British ships sunk
off the British coast never were
reported by the British.