Evening star., 1940-03-13
Peucei in Finland

After three and half months of
bitter f1ghting-a magnificent de-
fensive stand which destroys the
myth Of Russian invincibility and
insures for the Firms a permanent
place in the history of gallant nations
"a peace without loss of honor has
been accepted by the little Baltic
republic.
Russia, it is true, apparently gains
more than she originally asked of
Finland. Among the more important
concessions, according to published
reports of the peace terms, are the
ceding of Viipuri and the Karelian
1sthmus, with its Mannerheim forti-
f1cations and nearby industrial areas;
the leasing for thirty years to Russia
of Hangoe, at the mouth of the Gulf
OF Finland, where a naval base will
be established; transfer of the shores
OF Lake Ladoga to Russian control,
as well as two peninsulas in the far
north; the granting of certain con-
cessions to the Russians at the Fin
nish Arctic port of Petsamo and per-
mission for Russia to build railroad
across Finland from the White Sea
to the Gulf of Bothnia.
But overshadowing the losses which
the Firms sustain is the vital fact
that Finland has measurably pre-
served her independence, her sover-
eighty over the territory which re-
mains to her, and above all her
democratic system of government.
Furthermore, the Finnish Army can
take great pride in the knowledge
that, despite overwhelming odds, it
was still undefeated when the truce
went into effect.
Finland still lives, and that fact
mitigaSes all the sacrifices her people
have made to resist the Red invader.
It was a defense which will give a
shining place in history to the stout
people Of Suomi. The Films bitterly
contested every foot of ground they
lost to the invader, and exacted
q terrible price from the Soviet
aggressor. Finnish losses certainly
were heavier in proportion to human
and material resources than were the
Russians, but quantitatively the Rus
SLAMS have paid much more heavily
In dead and wounded and war ma
teriel than have the defenders.
The Russo-Finnish peace can
scarcely be regarded as an unmixed
blessing for the allies. They are
now relieved of the necessity of
producing the aid with "all available
resources" which Prime = Minister
Chamberlain belatedly promised this
week, and the $4,000 French troops
who were to go to Finland can now
be used against Germany-if an
active front ever develops.
But allied prestige has suffered a
severe blow because of the hardness
of their decision to send an expedi-
tionary force against Russia. If the
Helsinki negotiators had placed much
faith in the abilityAand readiness
of the Allies to send troops adequate
to save their territory, and # the
Allies had not waited too long, the
Firms might have been more re-
luctant to talk peace with Russia.
1t follows, too, that the possibility
Of opening up another front against
the Reich is reduced, and allied
pressure now may have to be con-
centrated in Southeastern Europe as
o possible base from which to break
the stalemate with Germany.
Meanwhile, the little band of
Finnish stalwarts who held the great
Red Army on the isthmus and north
of Lake Ladoga, and routed three
Russian divisions, face return to
the task Of rebuilding the cities and
towns laid waste by Russian bomb
ings, and restoring Finland to a
peaceful existence. In that effort, at
least, this country's belated decision
to make a "non-military" loan to
Finland may be of some value.