Evening star., 1939-12-12
DeadIine Passes
Without Russian
Reply 10 League
Committee Drafting
Report Branding
Soviet Aeeressor
By the Associated Press.

GENEVA, Dec. 12.-The 24-hour
deadline for a reply to the League
of Nations offer to mediate the
Russian Finnish war passed today
without a reply from the Soviet
Union.
The deadline was pm, but off,
cials said consideration still would
be given a reply if it were received
later.
Nevertheless, at pm. the l3-na-
ton League committee considering
Finland's appeal for aid began
drafting a report to the League AS
sembly which would condemn Rus
sia as an aggressor.
Indications pointed to adoption Of
such a resolution by large major
ity either tonight or tomorrow.
Argentina then plans to present a
proposal for expelling Russia from
the League.
1t was considered likely this pro-
posal also would go through.
Soviet May Act First.
Russian sources indicated that If
this happened Russia would break
off relations with both Britain and
France, unless those nations beat
them to the draw.
French sources called the Rus
sian Embassy in Paris the center
of web" of underground French
Communist activity.
Tbe,, rororto1 thot D,oy,,;or Do
ladier, whose government has out
lawed the Communist party in
France. was determined to close the
embassy and would use the League
custer as an opportunity to act
With the reservation there was
faint chance that Moscow might
accept mediation, Britain was re-
ported to have promised planes and
the French guns to help the Firms.
Pledge From Latin Countries.
The promises of aid were made,
it was said, with the hope the Firms
could hold out until supplies could
be sent through Norway and Sweden
Promises of munitions were backed
up by the pledge of nitrate, wheat
and beef from Latin American coun-
tries, which displayed united front
to declare Russian an aggressor and
oust her from the League. should
the mediation offer be rejected.
A League committee on the Rus
Sian-Finnish issue, headed by Jose
Caero da Malta, Portuguese dele
gate, proceeded to draft report on
proposed League aid to the be-
1eaguered nation.
Unless Moscow replies by pm.
officials said they would consider
that Russia had turned down the
mediation offer.
The next step of the committee
of 13. headed by Caero da Malta,
League attaches said, would be to
declare Russia the aggressor and
recommend that the Assembly adopt
resolution urging member states to
refrain from aiding the Soviet and
helping the Firms.
At Britain's suggestion, the COM
mittee was operating on the assump-
ton that the reply, if it came, would
be in the negative. Reports are ex-
pected to be heard soon after the
deadline passes.
Soviet sources termed it a packed
committee" pointing out only of
the 13 nations represented-Britain,
France, Sweden and Norway-have
diplomatic relations with Russia.
China alone appeared to observers
to be the stumbling block to the
Latin American groups avowed in
tention of ousting Russia from
League membership, which requires
q unanimous vote.
Russian quarters apparently
placed considerable hope on a neg
ative vote by China, while the
Allies themselves said they were
none too sure how her delegate,
DR.. v. K. Wellington Koo, would
stand.
Since the Chinese have depended
on Russia as source Of supplies
in the Chinese-Japanese war, it
was considered possible the allies
might offer material aid to China
in return for support.
A four-point program sent to
Moscow proposed that Finland and
Russia suspend hostilities and be-
gin peace negotiations under League
sponsorship. It said Finland i'm
mediately accepted League. media
ton, and that the council had