The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-11-28
Russia Orders Troops
ToShoot Back At inns
CONTINUED from Page ~

tCOuGlnueQ
ton provocation and violated our
sacred borders. Our government has
given the Finnish war clique the
last opportunity to reconsider. If
the bloody scourdrelS will not take
advantage of this opportunity they
will soon experience the fate Of
the ill-advised Col. Beck and Presi-
dent Moscicki (of PolandO. We know
the Finnish workers oppose the war
monger policies. Finnish workers
do not want to spill any blood for
the sake of their own and foreign
imperialists."
Coal miners of the Dozent region
resolved at another meeting: IF
necessary we are going to fight at
once in defense of our country,
meanwhile we are going to increase
the production of coal for the ma
tons needs"
Called Russia Liar"
Finland had, in effect, called Rus
STA liar by denying that there had
been any incident on the border
such as Premier v. M. Molotov de-
scribed, and this provoked new out
bursts of wrath in the Soviet press,
on the radio and from military head
quarters.
The Moscow radio broadcast d.
rectly to the Finnish people in their
own language last night: overthrow
your clownish premier who is lead
ing your country on the disastrous
path Of former Polish leaders"
The general tenor of the Soviet
statements was that Finland's atti-
tude was "warlike" and that the
red army was ready and waiting for
the order to teach the Firms les
son. L
The alleged incident on the Kare-
Ian Isthmus, between Lake Ladoga
and the Gulf of Finland where the
two countries join % miles from
Leningrad, had been disclosed Sun
day night by Molotov when he
handed a protest and demand to the
Finnish minister here. He said the
Films had fired seven artillery shells
into the Russian lines, killing four
and wounding nine red army men,
and that the Firms must withdraw
from the border at once, abandon
ir.g their "Mannerheim Line" forth
flcations there.
Text of Finland's Reply
Following Is the text Of Finland S
reply. handed by Minister Baron
Aano Koskinen to Molotov last
night:
1.-THE Finnish government denies
any shots were fired from the Fin
nish side. Consequently 1t is my
duty to reject the Soviet govern
ment's protest and declare no hos
tile act has been committed against
the Soviet Union by Finland.
"In your note you referred to the
danger of concentration of regular
troops near the frontier. On that
account I must point out that Fin
nish troops stationed near the from
tier are principally border guards
and that no artillery pieces within
ranges extending beyond the from
tier have been set up.
Under these circumstances there
Is no reason to withdraw these
troops. Nevertheless my govern
ment Is ready to engage in talks
to effectuate a mutual withdrawal
Of troops to a certain distance be-
hind the border,
Guns on Soviet Side
ION the Finnish side 1t has been
possible to see the explosions OF the
alleged seven shots which were fired
from guns situated on the Soviet
side, one and a half kilometers
(about a mile) from the place OF
the explosion.
However, in order to avoid any
doubt, my government proposes that
a mixed commission on the Karelian
Isthmus be empowered to inquire
into the incident In accordance with
the frontier convention Of Sept. "a,
1928"
The Firms charged that at about
the time of the alleged incident SUM-
day afternoon, Russian trench NOR
tars fired seven grenades behind
the Russian lines and that If any
Russians were killed or wounded,
1t was by their own fire.
Koskinen presented, in addition to
his note, a log made by Finnish
frontier guards at the time of the
seven shots. It stated that the ex-
act times the shots were fired and
the distances the grenades Travelled,
based on calculations from the speed
of sound waves. The firine, accord
ing to the log, occurred 300 meters
(half a mile) behind the Russian
lines.
Tantamount to Challenge
The Soviet government had not
commented on this reply but well
informed persons said it would be
regarded as tantanount to chal-
lenge, and additional proof of Fin
lands "warlike designs"
It was said that Russia had gone
too far in arousing public indigna-
ton against the Firms to accept
the Finnish view Of the border TN
cident."
The note was written by Baron
Koskinen himself, on instructions