Evening star., 1939-11-29
Russo-Finnish
Peace Hopes
Increase
Finland Is Reported
To Have Withdrawn
Some Forces
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
MOSCOW, Nov. 29.-Hopes of 6
peaceful settlement of the Russian
Finnish dispute increased today
with receipt of reports that Finnish
troops had been ordered withdrawn
from the Russian border.
Helsinki dispatches said Finnish
border patrols had been withdrawn
at some points to avoid clashes with
the Russians.
It was hoped the issue could be
settled by negotiation, one unof-
fetal but well-informed Soviet
source said, although Russia is al
ready so far committed to acquisi-
ton of Finnish territory on the
isthmus of Karelia, opposite Lenin-
grad, that she was expected to insist
on getting 1t.
Denies Soviet Wants War.
This informed source said that
Russia, despite the violence of the
Soviet propaganda campaign at
tacking Finland, does not want war
but rather a resumption of nego-
tiations through which she could
win concessions from the Finps.
The reports of Finnish troop
Withdrawals came after the Soviet
government had reported fresh bor-
der clashes in which the Red army
was said to have repulsed with
machine guns Finnish troops at
tempting to cross the frontier
AS result of the reported clashes,
IN which Finnish artillery was ac-
cused of sending shells screaming
across the border, new Russian
troops were said to have been dis
patched to reinforce frontier garri-
sons already estimated by observers
at almost 100000 men.
Reports from Helsinki indicated
that Finland has approximately
100000 men under arms-more than
tenth of the nations entire
population.
More Naval Reservists Called.
At the same time, the Communist
party newspaper Pravda disclosed
that new classes of naval reservists
had been called up for training and
service in the Baltic fleet, which has
been conducting maneuvers from
bases recently obtained from Estonia
and Latvia.
While the press made new attacks
upon Finland, workers and soldiers
staged mass meetings which adopt
ed resolutions containing such fiery
phrases as "it is time to extermin-
ate the puny bug which dares to
threaten the Soviet" and 1.-The Red
Army will exterminate the bandits
and give a lesson to the scoun-
drels."
Coming on the heels of the Rus
sian governments reputation of the
7-year-old Soviet-Finnish non-ag-
gression pact, radio reports of three
new border incidents" stirred feel
ing in Moscow to fever pitch.
Three Firms were captured in one
OF the clashes, the radio asserted,
but there was no repetition of the
casualties reported Sunday when,
the Russians said, 13 red soldiers
were killed or wounded by Fin
nish cannon.
In his note which scrapped Rus
sia'S non-aggression pact with Fin
land, Premier Vyacheslaf Molotoff
asserted that Finlands refusal to
withdraw border garrisons as guar
antee against repetition of Sunday s
alleged clash reflected the Helsinki
governments profound hostility
toward the Soviet Union"
He rejected in uncompromising
terms Finland's suggestion that the
Red Army simultaneously withdraw
from the frontier, declaring that the
Soviet troops do not menace vital
centers of Finland because they are
removed from those centers for hun
dreds of kilometers."
On the other hand, he said, "Fin-
nish troops stationed 80 kilometers
GO niles from Leningrad-a vital
center to the U. S. S. r., counting
3,500,000 population-create an i'm
mediate threat to it."
Finlands entire population, ac-
cording to most recent figures, is
about 3,364,0O0D
Molotoff said Finland had system
atically violated" the non-aggres-
sion pact and that Russia could not
tolerate a one-sided observance of
the agreement.
Incidents at Isolated Points.
According to the Moscow radio,
the latest alleged border clashes
took place at isolated points on
the long frontier.
The most serious incident, the
radio said, occurred near Vidlitczk
(Vedlitsa), near Lake Ladoga, where
small groups of Finnish infantry
were reported to have crossed the
border after artillery had hurled two
shells 500 yards into Soviet territory
The Firms were driven back by
rifle and machine-gun fire, the radio
said.
Earlier, according to the broad
cast, five Finnish soldiers crossed
the northern frontier on the isthmus
between the peninsulas of Rybachi
and Sredni.
A Soviet patrol opened fire and
drove the Films back across the
border, taking three prisoners, the
report said.
An hour later, two Finnish SOL
diers sent five shots across the bor-
der near Hill 2O42," which was not
specifically located by the broad
caster. Soviet troops did not return
the fire, he said.
Before the Moscow radjo renorted