Evening star., 1939-12-20

(Contlnued From First PageJ
the invasion, loss of the 23,256-ton
Russian battleship Oktiabrskaya-
Revolutia October Revolution) was
reported in Danish news dispatch.
Unofficial but well-informed sources
in Helsinki denied the warship had
been sunk.
The battleship was completed in
1914 by the Czarist Navy under the
name of Gangut. The warship had
a normal crew Of 1 1,125 men and car
ried twelve 12-inch guns. Previously
a Russian destroyer and patrol ship
had been reported sunk by the Firms
last week.
Claim Four Red Planes Downed.
At least four Red Army planes
were shot down yesterday, the Firms
said, in a renewal of aerial warfare
over Helsinki in which 80 bombs
were dropped in the suburban area,
causing little damage.
The Finnish communique said
their airforce had bombed and ma
chine -gunned supply columns and
troop rest areas in Russian terri
tory, while land forces made a sue
cessful offensive north of Lake La
doga.
The enemy launched heavy at
tacks in great force on the (Ka-
relian 1sthmus front" said the
communique. which did not men
ton the battleship. The main Rus
sian attack took place between Muo-
lajarvi and Kaukjarvi. The enemy
suffered losses of men, and numer-
Gus tanks were destroyed"
At least 200 Russian tanks have
been reported captured during the
2l-day hostilities.
Location of New Line Guarded.
The Firms held in military Sc
crecy the location OF the new line
In the gale-swept Arctic, but 1t was
understood 1t would be south of
Lake Inari near 1valo.
This is about % miles southwest
of Virtaniemi, where Russian mo-
torized detachment had forced its
way from the northern corridor.
Dispatches from this point said
the Firms had been driven back. al
though Helsinki observers pointed
out the advance of the motorized
unit did not mean the area was
occupied by enemy forces. Troops
often retreat after making explora-
tory thrusts, the sources said.
From the Norwegian border Rus
sian camphres were visible along
a 100-mile front. Radios blared out
entertainment for the soldiers.
Reports that Kuolajarvi and other
points along Finland's "waistline'
had been occupied in an effort to
cut the country in half could not
be confirmed officially. In a move
ment westward one column was re-
ported as far as Kemijarvi, about
one-third of the way across to the
Swedish border. Occupation OF
Rovaniemi would cut off a railroad
to the Gulf of Bothnia at Tornio
and close off Helsinkis land COM
munications with Sweden.
The Russians reported II Finnish
airplanes were shot down in the
days aerial encounters.
"A group Of ships of the Baltic
Fleet successfully shelled coastal
batteries Of the area of Bjorko" on
the Gulf of Finland, the army COM
munique said.
The return of Helsinki residents
from safe" country areas for the
holiday season caused officials to
renew warnings against the danger
OF bombings.
Meanwhile Jan Sibelius, Finland's S
patriot-composer, in a statement
expressing gratitude to the United
States for sympathy to the Finnish
cause, said
How we'll We emerge from the
struggle depends in the first in
stance on ourselves. but when the
question is of immense material
superiority our fate depends also in
large measure on what those nations
do which prize liberty