Evening star., 1939-12-31
Swedes Reported
Doing All Possible
To Assist Films
10000 Volunteers Fully
Equipped and $4,000, 900
Sent by People

The Swedish people are doing
everything in their power to help
Finland fight off Russian aggression
despite Sweden's traditional neu-
trality policy, news reports from
Stockholm to Swedish Language
newspapers in this country empha-
size.
A Swedish brigade of 10000 or
more volunteers, uniformed and
supplied privately in Sweden and
including several high-ranking
Swedish army officers who formally
resigned to get into this unofficial
conflict, are fighting with the Fin
nish army.
Other aid includes cash contribu-
tions estimated to amount to more
than $10,000000, private credits for
anti-aircraft guns and other vital
munitions, immense quantities of
food and clothing and numerous
ambulance corps stated by volun-
teer doctors and nurses.
ut is not an eXaggeration to say
that the question of help to Fin
land is the preoccupation of every
Swedish man and woman" said a
recent dispatch from the authorita-
tive Swan News Bureau in Stock
holm to the Swedish American
News Bureau for distribution to the
score of SWedish-language weekly
papers published in the United
States.
Hope Others Follow.
"In Sweden it is hoped" the dis
patch added, that the help given
from our side for the fighting Firms
will serve as a guidance for other
nations with bigger resources"
A significant dispatch appearing
In The Northern Star, Swedish
language newspaper published in
New York, reported the arrival
somewhere in Finland of l.500
well-supplied Swedish volunteers
wearing distinctive uniform caps
that bore symbols of four hands
united in a cross handshake This
distinguishing mark was described
as indicating Nordic solidarity.
These 1900 volunteers were only
one contingent of the total of 10000
or more, the dispatch said.
Other reports tell of 35 tons Of
Christmas gifts going from the
Swedish to the Finnish people; of
the organization of complete war
hospital; of huge gifts of medical
supplies from Swedish manufac-
turers: of a Stockholm newspaper
quickly raising half million crowns
for Finnish aid, and of Danish am
bulance corps which took to the aid
of the Firms an extra 100000 crowns
collected in the streets of Copen-
hagen.
Danes, Norwegians Join.
Many Danes and Norwegians are
reported to have joined the Swedish
volunteers fighting in Finland Nor
wegians have contributed $4,000
While insisting on official MAIN
tenance of its l30-year-old neutral
ity policy, the Swedish government
has not discouraged volunteer aid
by its people to the Firms in view
of the League OF Nations condem-
nation of Russian aggression and
request for league members to as
Sist the victim OF the aggression The
son-in-law of Sweden's prime min
lister is one of the volunteers.
The association of Swedish in
dustry and trade unions recently
sent a joint statement to the gov
ernment, declaring that the Swedish
employers and workers we're unani-
nous in willingness to bear all the
burdens necessitated by the emer-
gency."
The reports from Stockholm indi-
cate no strings are attached to the
money contributed by the Swedes to
Finland, but that it may be used to
purchase munitions or provide hu-
man relief needs at the discretion
of Finland. The estimated total
gifts to date of S1OOO0,OOO mean
much more in purchasing power in
Sweden and Finland than the same
amount would here.
The volunteer brigade of Swedish
fighting men helping the Firms is
described as the successor to the
Swedish brigade that fought beside
the Firms in the war of independ-
ence that drove the Russians from
Finland 20 years ago. At that time,
however it was unlawful for Swedes
to join the fighting and now there
Is no governmental ban against it.