Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-12-26
Breed and Stone


only nine days hence and with the
splendid success achieved in recent
days by Finland's gallant divisions
against the brutal invaders of their
fatherland, 1t begins to appear that
a decision has been reached by the
administration not to act in the mat
ter of further and unrestricted
loan to the Firms prior to congress
sional consideration and approval Of
such loan.
The Star has urged against and
deplores this decision. Finland has
made clear to the world the imme-
diacy of her need for financial sup
port, pointing out that her supply
Of munitions, planes, anti-aircraft
and machine guns is pitiably made
quate for the task with which she is
confronted. The successes which she
has achieved in these last days do
not lead her and should lead no one
to false optimism or underestimation
OF the peril that she faces 1t would
be the cruelest of ironies if her
bravery and ability to beat back
vastly superior numbers of her raw
ishers during the conflict to date,
should lead-through blind overcon-
fidence in her ability to take care of
herself to the ultimate defeat of
her armies.
Yet her defeat is inevitable, as any
military man knows, unless the sup
ply of munitions and planes she has
so far been forced to expend are
promptly replenished and increased.
Other nations, though seemingly
more fully aware of her desperate
need, are either at war themselves
or seeking to upbuild their own ar
maments against thinly yelled
threats of aggression. They have
done what they could But it is to
the United States, bound to her by
every bond of friendship, that she
has turned without false shame
and upon whom she must depend for
the bulk of her armament needs.
The United States has, up to the
present, not met Finland's call.
Some hundreds of thousands of dol
lars have been raised and forwarded
for civilian relief as the result of the
fine and appropriate efforts of Mr..
Hoover and those associated with
him. A loan of s1O,OOO,0OO from the
Export-Import Bank has been made
to her, restricted to non-military
use and further restricted, as is not
so generally known, to purchases
made in the United States. It can
not be used for the building of
shelters from air bombs, for food
supplies from Sweden or Norway for
her destitute civil population, or for
similar purposes. AS practical
matter, Finnish funds thus cannot
be released from her essential civil
ian budget and transferred here
for the purchase of arms. Even that,
which The Star has pointed out
would be beating the devil around
the stump, is made impossible AS a
result the $1O,OOO,OOO credit has
not been and cannot be of any mate
rial and constructive use to Finland
in her urgent and desperate need Of
the moment.
The people of the United States
want their Government effectively
to help Finland defend herself
against the bloody and brutal con-
quest attempted by Stain. The bread
for which she has asked and to which
she is fully entitled is quick credit
with which to buy arms as promptly
as possible. The stone of a restricted
loan, however prettily tied up in red
tape, is not effective help.
If the administration is not pre-
pared at least to remove all restric-
tions from the current $10,OO0,0O0
loan, pending action by Congress on
a larger sum, it must, in the light of
it's proved sympathy with Finland's
cause. read an Importance into the
"gentleman's agreement" made with
certain congressional committees in
connection with loans Of the Export
Import Bank which The Star re-
spects but does not understand.
Every indication is that a heavy
majority of Congress favors an un-
restricted loan-in entire awareness
that Finland, certainly in the mat
ter Of credit, occupies a unique re-
lationship to the United States.
Weeks and even days are vital to
Finland at this moment. If nine
additional days must be wasted be-
fore her buying agents can place
their orders, then Congress must, in
the realization Of its full responsible
ity, lay its plans to act with that
swiftness which the emergency calls
for, Immediately after the savel falls.
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