Evening star., 1940-03-11

WELLES EXPLORING British aims
in parleys today; will talk formally
with Chamberlain and Halifax;
leaves London Thursday.
Page Al
CHAMBERLAIN HOPES way is
now open for Italian trade talks;
indicates British coal for italy will
be topic of discussion. Page AS
TRANsCAUCASIANS HOPING to
be freed from Soviet rule; gov
ernments" of Georgia, Azerbaijan
and Armenia active in Geneva.
Page AS
Ey the Associated Press.
LONDON, March 11.-Great Brit
ain and France have informed Fin
land they are ready "to proceed i'm
mediately and jointly to the help OF
Finland" with "all available re-
sources" if the Finnish government
should ask for further aid" Prime
Minister Chamberlain told the
House of Commons today.
Later statement from his office
said "the Prime Minister desires to
make it clear that no appeal for
further aid has yet been received
from the Finnish government"
Mr.. Chamberlain refused to an
swer question whether Britain was
proposing to send troops to Fin
land and "if so. are they prepar-
ing to violate the neutrality OF Nor
way and Sweden in doing So
Earlier Britain was disclosed to
have refused to convey to Finland
Russian peace terms of an onerous
nature" 1t was these proposals
which Sweden then acted upon as
mediator and resulted in the Rus
sian-Finnish talks which began in
Moscow last week, it was said.
Silent on War Declaration.
AS to whether further British
French help for Finland-the allies
already are sending material aid
would be tantamount to going to
war against Russia, Mr.. Chamber
lain said:
I'VE have not arrived at that
yet"
Asked by Labor Leader Clement
Attlee for a statement on the
Russian Finnish negotiations, Mr..
Chamberlain said:
THE House will be aware that
both the French and British govern
ments have sent and are continuing
to send material assistance to Fin
land. This has been of considerable
value to the Finnish forces.
"As his majestys government and
the French government have al
ready informed the British govern
ment, they are prepared in response
to an appeal from them for further
aid to proceed Immediately, and
jointly to the help of Finland, using
all available resources at their dis
posal."
Asked if he could say anything
regarding the question of settlement
of the RuSsian-Finnish conflict, Mr..
Chamberlain said:
Il am afraid I have no informa-
ton which is sufficiently reliable to
give the House at the present mo-
ment."
Not Asked to Mediate.
Replying to a question about the
earlier disclosure of the Russian ap-
proach to Britain with the proposed
peace terms for Finland, Mr.. Cham
berlain said:
"It would be untrue to say that
the British government had been
asked to mediate, but there was an
occasion on which the Soviet Am
bassador mentioned certain terms
which his government would be pre-
pared to offer to Finland, and his
majesty's government did not feel
able to pass those terms on to Fin
land"
This statement was greeted by
loud cheers. Previously it had been
disclosed that the Russian envoy,
Ivan Maisky, had made this ap-
proach on February %.
Attlee asked if any aid sent TO
Finland would be in "fulfllment of
our obligations under the Covenant
of the League of Nations and in
cooperation with other states
similarly bound"
Mr.. Chamberlain replied: 'It cer-
tainly will be in accordance with
our obligations under the Covenant.
AS to the cooperation with other
states, I have already mentioned
that France is in association with
ourselves. I cannot say what other
states might feel bound to do"
Would Leave Firms "Defenseless."
The Russian terms which Britain
refused to relay to Finland would
have left the Finnish people help
less and defenseless," British quar-
ters said today.
The terms were said to have in
cluded "cession of territory covering
Lake Ladoga, Viipuri, the whole of
the Karelian Isthmus, islands in the
Gulf of Finland now occupied by
Soviet troops, the western half of
the Rybachi Peninsula and long
lease of Hanko as a Russian naval
base"
Authoritative sources said similar
terms were submitted to Sweden
about the same time, and she con-
veyed them to Finland.
A source close to the British gov
ernment asserted Sweden apparently
had mot the same scruples as our
selves" about agreeing to mediate
on such terms.
The Russian demands, London
sources said, did not include cession
by Finland of the Petsamo region
In the Far North.
Could Keep Outlet in Arctic.
Finland would be permitted to
retain her outlet to the Arctic Sea
in this region, as well as it's famous
nickel mines at nearby Salmijarvi,
these sources said
II o,,ax,l, ciznd ti,axo 0x,ka