Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-12-26
Send Me Revolver
Finnish Soldier
Writes Sister
Letter Tells Of Fights
And Going Without
Sleep for Week
BY LELAND STOWE,

Chicago Daily News Foreign Correspondent
HELSINKI, Dec. 26.-Here is a
letter from Finnish soldier on the
Lapland front. Yesterday, by chance,
I saw part of this letter to his sister
In Helsinki.
Dear Sister:
I'm writing you just the same as
I write mother to make sure that
one of you learns what am in need
of here. I need Cd big Mauser
revolver, caliber g. If you are UNI
able to get this size and if you can
find Nagan revolver, or a big Colt
pistol, send this with at least 100
cartridges. My Mauser was broken
yesterday in a hand-t o-hand fight,
so that it can't be used and it is
now, as you know. that your BROTH
er's life is depending on his knife.
ca need chocolate bars just the
usual size, but many of them. 60
You could also send me now and
then some underwear because we
can scarcely wash the used ones in
this cold and we can't carry them
with us, but send them quickly
MY company has been fighting
very we'll and I am very proud of
it. For almost two weeks now we
have been under fire every day. Yes
terday we had three different bat
ties and in the last one we killed
more than 100 Russians, the whole
company to the last man. For more
than a week I have not been able
to get any sleep. wish they would
send new men here soon.
yesterday, in the hand-to-hand
fight, I was separated from my men
and surrounded by Bolshevists.
Three of them, armed with auto
matte pistols, started hunting me.
I killed two of them and a third
turned and ran away. Thank heaven
for that. 1t was very lucky for me.
because by that time my old pistol,
which wasn't very good, as you know,
was so hot that it broke to pieces.
With all this was combined over 20
miles on skis as We had to find two
of our patrols, and the night was
very dark.
We'll, try to calm mother and take
care of her. It's very difficult for
me to write her from here very
often. Now, my dear sister, be as
energetic as you can. This revolver
is really important"
At the end of the letter there was
added the postscript:
tits very cold here and it brings
to my mind another very cold night
after an attack and when we were
waiting for another attack. When
I made my rounds found my SEN
tinel had become unconscious from
fatigue and cold. I gave my fur
coat to him and that unfortunately
was left behind when the boy was
killed the next morning by the Rus
slams. So could you please send me
another fur coat. 1t must be white
on the outside. Furthermore,
need canteen made of wood be-
cause it freezes less easily. Some
thing that would be very useful
would be four aluminium containers
Tor butter, cheese, sugar and meat.
Oh yes-and cigarettes.
The lieutenant's sister couldn't
lind single revolver in any store
in Helsinki. Finally, being very per-
sistent, she went to the army sup
plies headquarters and obtained a
revolver by sheer persuasion. Now
she is trying to get fur coat-an
article which disappeared long ago
from HelSinki stores. Borrowing a
fur lined coat here is tough prob
lem because almost every Finn civil
Ian donated his extra coat to the
army as soon as the war began.