Evening star., 1939-11-04
Soviet Turbulence


Any illusion that the negotiations
now again under way in Moscow be-
tween Russian officials and the Finn
ish delegation are proceeding on a
basis of equality, free from threats Of
force, was dispelled by the blast
loosed against the Firms in the Com
munist party paper-Pravda-yes-
terday.
Coming as it did just before the
Finnish delegates resumed their con-
ferences with the Russians 1t consti-
tuted an undisguised threat Of vio-
lence against the Films at moment
when the Firms are standing firmly
too firmly for Soviet taste-against
the demands for territorial cessions.
The timing of the blast makes clear
its intent. The Firms arrived in Mos
COW Thursday, but were kept waiting
for an appointment at the Kremlin
until yesterday evening, after Prav-
da's outburst had been published and
could be absorbed by the Finnish ne
gotiators. But there is yet no indica-
ton that the mission from Helsinki
has been in any way intimidated.
Pravdas intent was clear, and
Pravda speaks with almost as great
authority for the Soviet government
as does Izvestia, the official govern
ment newspaper. It charged that
Finnish Foreign Minister Elias Erkko
in his speech Wednesday night ap-
pealed for war with the U. S. S. R."
and cited the fate of Poland-against
which Russia marched at the mo-
ment when it was being attacked by
Germany-as a warning for the
Firms. And Pravda added signifi-
cantly I'VE shall assure our safety
and obtain our goal, crushing all in
our way" Erkko did not, as mat
ter of fact, call for war, but said that
"if difficulties and dangers are to be
overcome, it may be that we must
throw into the scale all we own.'
The conclusion to be drawn is that
If Finland refuses to yield further to
the Soviet proposals -Erkko already
has indicated Finland's disposition to
accede to arrangements for improve
ment of Leningrad's defense and the
safety of the Gulf of Finland, which
might involve the granting of bases
to Russia on some of the Finnish
islands-the Soviet will mete out to
the Firms the same fate that befell
the Poles.
The Firms have refused to give the
Soviet guardianship over Finnish
territory and exchange a strategic
portion of the Karelian Isthmus for
a much larger area Of Soviet Karelia.
There has appeared as yet no weak
ness in their resolution to resist any
infringement of their neutrality by
Soviet occupation of this territory.
The courage of the Firms is so
striking because, unlike the Poles
who fought with the assurance that
Britain and France would come to
their aid, the Helsinki government
has no guarantees of assistance from
any one. Britain and France are not
pledged to its defense, nor is it likely
that the Scandinavian states, who
are determined to remain neutral,
will fight If Finland is invaded.
But Finland. which established its
independence from Russia in 1917,
views with horror the serf-like role
which has been imposed upon Es-
tonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and to it
the question is one not merely Of
bowling before the Soviet giant in the
present instance but of preserving
undiminished Finland's independ-
ence and sovereignty. It sees an ex-
panding Russia and realizes that If
its independence is to be guarded it
must be at the very first point of