Evening star., 1939-12-04
Peaceful End of
Conflict With
Soviet Sought
Dy the Associated Press.

HELSINKI, Dec. 4.-Finland Is
fortifying the strategic Aaland
Islands guarding the entrance to the
Gulf of Finland, it wasa announced
tonight.
A message to this effect has been
sent to Joseph A. C. Avenol, secre-
tary general of the League Of Ma
tions, it was stated.
These islands had been the subject
of diplomatic tussle between Fin
land and Russia. Finland and
Sweden had appealed jointly to the
League Of Nations for approval of
their plan to fortify the islands, but
Russia objected vigorously on the
ground that such step would bottle
up the Russian fleet in the Gulf of
Finland
The upshot of this issue, which
was debated last June, was that the
League Council did nothing.
Peaceful Solution Sought.
Finland, meanwhile, sought q
peaceful way to settle her difficult
ties with Soviet Russia without
sacrificing her independence or vital
interests
But while an answer from Moscow
was awaited, Finnish forces reported
iilf1icting heavy casualties on the in
vaderS, and the civilians left in this
capital area steeled themselves for
aid raids they feared would be the
most destructive of the war so far.
A heavy snoWstorm which started
last night continued this morning,
protecting Helsinki and environs
from any repetition of Russian air
raids. Up to early afternoon no air
alarms had been sounded, and none
were expected until the weather
changed.
The city, however, was almost
empty. Such was the fear of new
bomb attacks that only soldiers and
civilians entrusted with vital tasks
remained.
Russian charges that Finland was
using gas at the front provoked a
government spokesman to suggest
that they might be planning Ito
take this as an excuse for using gas
themselves"
(The Finnish Legation in
Washington said it had received
word from its government that
the Moscow radio had charged
Finnish use of gas, and that
"the Finnish government denies
most emphatically this detest-
able CHARGE
Air Raid Casualties.
It was announced today the total
civilian casualties in the recent
raids were IS dead and 181 wounded,
IS being killed in Helsinki alone.
Sixteen buildings were destroyed
by bombs, II by fire and 233 others
damaged.
The Finnish command said the
Russians had lost heavily when
their troops crashed through thin
Ice along Finland's lake-studded
frontier, or had been moved down
by sharp shooters and machine-gun
ners guarding the frozen lakes.
Several thousand Red Army SOL
dires were reported killed also when
they advanced across ground which
retreating Firms had mined at Teri
joki, alleged birthplace of the Com
munist-led and MoscoW-indorsed
Finnish regime.
Peace Effort Revealed by Radio.
The Finnish radio disclosed the
peace effort last night, announcing
the Helsinki government had asked
the Swedish Legation in Moscow to
consult the Kremlin on the posi-
bility of a settlement.
Prime Minister Risto Ryti de-
clared in broadcast to the United
States today that Finland is ready
to negotiate the demands of Soviet
Russia to the utmost limit without
violating our independence or policy
of neutrality" But. he declared,
the Firms are determined to defend
their liberty and independence.
The Finnish news agency put the
nations position as a search for
agreement without violating the
independence and vital interests of
Finland"
A Finnish spokesman said he
could not deny a report that Elias
(See FINLAND, Page A-3)