Evening star., 1940-03-10
Firms Admit Reds Get
FoothoId on Boy Shore


HELSINKI, March 9 tP.-Despite
accounts of peace negotiations that
filled front pages of Helsinki news
papers, heavy fighting continued
today on virtually all fronts, with
the invading Red Army finally
gaining "a restricted foothold" on
the northwest shore of Vupuri Bay
Military observers said that this
foothold-gained at tremendous cost
undoubtedly would increase the
threat to Viipuri, toward which the
Russians have been driving furi-
ously since February l.
This latest Russian maneuver,
acknowledged in the Finnish high
commands communique tonight,
was regarded as of outstanding i'm
portance because of the possibility
1t might put the Russians in a po-
sition to complete encirclement Of
the city of Viipuri and outf1ank
the western end of the Mannerheim
Line.
Talk Of peace. however, over
shadowed news of the fighting. Hell
sinki evening newspapers gave
prominent display to dispatches
from Stockholm, Berlin, Paris, Lon
don and Rome with various reports
Of peace proposals.
There still was no official COM
ment, however, beyond the brief
communique Thursday night which
said that Russia had prepared to
submit demands more far-reaching
than the original demands of last
autumn, which Finland rejected. It
was disclosed, however, that there
have been further communications
since Thursday and it was indi-
Gated that the contact continued.
The fact that the proposals had
not already been rejected led to
the belief that Moscow may have
modified its demands after early
indications that Finland would fight
on rather than accept a losers
terms.
There was strong opposition here
TO extensive concessions; some
feared such q peace might not be
lasting. These fears were suggested
by the newspaper 1lta Sanomat,
which although not commenting di-
rectly on the Russian Finnish stu
alton, made the following pointed
reference to the approaching March
IS anniversary of the German oc-
cupation of Bohemia Moravia, heart
Of the former Czecho-Slovak re-
public.
ITO the eyes of the world was
offered the tragic drama of nation
which was carried from one sur
render to another"
Front Positions Little Chanxed.
Meanwhile, the situation at the
front continued virtually the same
except for the Soviet gain in the
Vnpuri Bay sector, where several
islands were captured by the Rus
slams IN addition to the positions
on the mainland.
(The Russian Army in its
commun1que on activities of last
Monday reported occupation of
the towns of Hejnlahti, Muho-
lahti and Vilajoki on the Bay
OF Viipuri about IS miles west of
Vupuri. Subsequent commu-
niques. however, failed to mem
ton further Russian progress in
this direction)
The communique pictured the
Russian drive across Viipuri Bay
In its statement that the Finnish
Air Force again bombed and fired
on enemy troops and columns of
lorries, sledges and tanks" picking
their way across the island dotted
ice, scene for days Of sanguinary
battle.
Fighting Heavy for Days.
The Russians failed to gain else
where on the Isthmus of Karelia
and suffered large losses both there
and northeast Of Lake Ladoga,
where heavy fighting has been going
on for days, according to the Flnns.
The communique said that an
enemy detachment of undisclosed
size had been completely an
nihilated at Lava Lake and that q
fierce battle continued along the
Kollaa River, where thousands OF
Russians were killed earlier in the
week.
The past few days have Eeen
marked by lull in Soviet bombing
attacks on cities and towns outside
the war zone. There has peen con-
siderable; activity, however. on the
1sthmus and along the southern
coast between Kotka and Viipuri
Bay, where the Russians are at
tempting to establish bases.
%ar&rr;n r,nehad