Evening star., 1939-11-29
Films Draft Answer
To Soviet MESSAGE
Ending Peace Pact
Substance May Determine
Next Turn in Baltic
War of Nerves
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
HELSINkI, Nov. 29.-Finland-
accused by the Soviet Union of men,
acing Leningrad and actually try
ing to invade Russian territory
prepared a reply today which may
determine the next turn in the war
of nerves and notes.
A draft of the answer to the Rus
sian charge of profound hostility
of the government of Finland
toward the Soviet Union" which
Moscow cited as grounds last night
for denunciation of the Finnish
Russian non-aggression pact, was
completed about midnight.
Contents of the note remained a
state secret pending transmission.
The cabinet met again shortly be-
fore noon to put final touches to the
Finnish answer, which was expected
to be dispatched to Moscow late this
afternoon.
Deny All Strength Modified.
officials denied Finland had mo-
bilized her full military strength.
They declared, on the contrary, that
many reservists recently released
had not been called back to the
colors.
However, there was no inclination
to minimize the precarious situa-
ton on the Russian-Finnish from
tier, where incidents or alleged In
cidents were multiplying. Border
patrols at various points were or
dered to move back so as to avoid
the possibility of clashes with Rus
sian troops.
Two members of a Finnish bor-
der patrol near the village of Pun
mang, at the northern tip of Fin
land, were reported still missing at
noon despite long search. The cot
tage they had occupied at the iso-
lated post was found in disorder.
The telephone had been ripped out.
Shots heard there in the early
morning still were unexplained.
"Not Afraid" Say Firms.
While the cabinet conferred in
the partly blacked-out capital,
phlegmatic Firms, questioned on the
street as to their hopes and fears,
would say little except, I'VE are not
afraid" They prided themselves on
their calmness.
The foreign Office expressed the
view that with denunciation of
the non-aggression pact, there no
longer is any formal obstacle against
the Russians coming over The next
few days may be decisive
Flatly denied were Moscow radio
reports that Finnish soldiers had
violated the Russian border. One of
these said Finnish detachments,
under artillery cover, tried to in
wade Russia north of Lake Lagoda,
but were turned back by machine
gun fire.
Treaty Action Heavy Blow.
The Soviet action in denouncing
the 7-year-old non-aggression pact
was the heaviest blow to the Firms
thus far in the war of nerves"
which has gripped the Baltic region
since the German Russian partition
of Poland
The treaty had been regarded a
bulwark of peaceful relations be-
tween Finland and Russia. Finland
was a grand duchy of Russia before
the World War and the Communist
revolution.
Concluded in 1882, the treaty was
supplemented the following year
with an agreement defining aggres-
sion and with subsequent pacts in
1887 and 1888 defining the Russian
Finnish border and pledging the
two governments to good neighbor
relations.
BY her latest note Russia, in
effect, called Finland a potential
aggressor in refusing to withdraw
troops from the common border
north of Leningrad. This refusal,
said the Russian note, showed "the
hostile desire of the government Of
Finland to keep Leningrad under
threat"
AS to Finland's agreement to with
draw, provided Russian troops also
retired, the Russian note declared
there was no present equality in
(See HEI SINKI Page A-4)