Evening star., 1939-10-29
Finland Expected
ToPresent United
Front 10 Russia
Observers Are Convinced
Stolin Will Not Risk
War in Showdown
By LELAND STOWE

CHICAGO DAILY News Foreign Correspondent.
STOCKHOLM, Oct. 28.-On the
spot. with Moscow's pistol stuck
deeper than ever into her ribs, Fin
land is now preparing to gamble
on whether Stain really dares to
pull the trigger. But it will be a
united Finland that takes the
gamble.
Party and parliamentary commit
tees in Helsinki began to consider
their governments last-stand reply
to Russia today and reports reach
ing here indicate that the Firms,
backed by parliamentary decision,
will present united front before
the Kremlin's severest demands
probably permitting their delegates
to return to Moscow early next
week for what is expected to be the
final verdict.
If the situation is regarded with
its full seriousness in Helsinki, the
neighboring SWedes make no effort
to conceal their anxiety and many
of them are inclined to be more
pessimistic than the Firms them
selves. 1t is realized here that Fin
lands success or failure before the
Soviet's holdup game is likely to
influence greatly the attitude of
both Russian and German dicta-
torships toward remaining Scandi-
navian countries and that Finland S
retention of her independence would
be an enormous bulWark to Swedish
freedom.
Showdown Near.
Although the Swedish public is
openly worried about the severe
pressure Moscow has put upon the
Helsinki government, calmer Off
cials here are less inclined to believe
that the Soviets will risk war or
can afford to do so. These Swedish
and neutral observers expect DR..
Juho K. Paasikivi and Finance Min
lister Varno Tanner to return to
Moscow and tell Stain "these are
the things which the entire Finnish
people cannot accept and are deter
mlned TO resist.
When that showdown comes -
perhaps between next Thursday and
Saturday-the Kremlin's aggressive
nerve will get its biggest public test.
No one can safely predict which
course Stain will choose, but certain
factors command the attention of
qualified authorities in Helsinki and
Stockholm alike Even if the Rus
slams possess such enormous superb
ority as to be able to crush Finland,
the Firms Will literally wage war
to the knife and they are one of the
hardest. most liberty loving little
peoples on earth. Their vast forests
and multitudinous lakes are ideal
for Guerrilla warfare such as they
waged against the Russians for
years in the 18th century, after half
of their 100000 population had been
killed of. Hence. if the Soviets want
to conquer Finland, they will be
compelled to occupy the country
permanently with hundreds of thou
sands of men Such an operation
would be extremely costly and haz-
ardous and would entail grave risks
for Russian prestige.
Ready to Defend Country.
The Swedes can scarcely remem-
ber when Sweden was invaded. SO
are more inclined to see the dark
side of the picture for Finland. But
for the Firms to fight invaders on
their own soil is an old. familiar
story and they are completely ready
to die in defense of their country
with the traditional patriotism OF
their ancestors. Moreover, the cha
otic condition of the Soviet's trans
port system. agreed upon by all who
know Russia, initiates strongly
against Stains embarking on a
military adventure. These reasons
explain the opinion of those OBJ
servers who are convinced that
Stain will stop just short of war
when the Russo-Finnish question
comes to a showdown.
(Copyright. 1889. Chicago Daily News, Incl