Evening star., 1939-12-15
Firms Offer to Cease Hosti|ities
For Peaceful Par|eys With Reds;
British Raid Nazi Seap|ane Bases
All of Remuininq
Reservists Are
Called Up
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
HELSINKI. Dec. l5.-Finland told
Soviet Russia today that she was
still open for peaceful negotiations,
but if Moscow's aim was conquest
of the whole country, then the Firms
would fight to the end"
While the army was calling up
all reservists who had not thus far
reported to the colors, ordering them
to report tomorrow fully equipped,
Foreign Minister Vaino Tanner, III
a radio broadcast to Soviet Foreign
Commisar Vyacheslaff Molotoff, said
the Firms were willing to suspend
hostilities and resume negotiations.
He said negotiations would have to
be on the basis of the principle that
small nations have the right of self
determination.
Tanner, who took part in the long
drawn Kremlin negotiations which
preceded the Russian invasion, re-
called that Russia had lent support
to this principle.
He recalled also how the Moscow
kONCl blOhC O11 1S-
lations with Finland, refused media
ton by the United States, rejected
Sweden's efforts at conciliation and
spurned the League of Nations ap-
peal for mediation of the dispute.
However. the air is still open,"
Tanner said.
Recalls Visit to Moscow.
rnonr,t11y IyjcitoI tt,n p
agricultural exposition at Moscow" :"
the Finnish foreign minister said, Il
saw on the wall of one of the build
ings a stirring sentence by your
leader, Mr.. Stain:
THE Soviet Union does not
covet single inch of the territory
of other states but it will defend
every inch of its own SOIL
There is reason at this moment
to save that slogan from sinking
into oblivion
Finland still is ready for peaceful
negotiation, but if MoscoW's aim is
conquest of the whole country then
the Firms will fight to the end.
Already the first 16 days have
shown that the war will be fierce
and demand many victims. Why
shed blood so long as there are other
possibilities uneXamined?"
Reds Reported Routed.
Meanwhile, Finland's defenders
were retreating on the far northern
front, holding their own on the vital
Karelian Isthmus and reporting sue
ceSSful counter attacks on the GEN.
trai fronts.
l. he Arctic retreat, westward across
Finland's narrow corridor to the
Arctic Ocean, was systematic, with
the Firms destroying property po-
tentially useful to the Russians,
such as the nickle mines near
Salmijarvi. The Russians were eX-
pected to reach that town at the
Norwegian frontier today.
Southwark, above Lake Ladoga,
the Firms reported a victorious
Counterattack. A brief communique
last night said that two Russian
regiments were nearly annihilated
when the Firms regained possession
Of Tolvaparvi, 40 miles from the
Russian frontier and approximately
IS miles north of Lake Ladoga.
Our forces are pursuing the re-
treating enemy" said the COM
munique, and unconfirmed reports
reaching here today asserted the
Firms were driving the Russians to-
ward a great defeat similar to the
crushing of the Russian imperial
army by the Germans at the
Masurian Lake in the World War.
The winter battle of the Masurian
Lakes in January-February, 1915,
cost Imperial Russia 10000 pris-
oners, 300 guns and put three Rus
sian armies out of commission. 1t
ended for the time being the Often
sive power of Russia against Ger
many and was one of the major
triumphs of Gems. Hindenburg and
Ludendorf.
Fighting Reports Brief.
Official reports on the fighting
north of Lake Ladoga, although
(See FINLAND, Page A-4.)