Evening star., 1940-01-16

d
longer In doing 80.
Unterrified Scandinavia
It is, Of course, unthinkable that
nations like Norway and Sweden,
home Of the Vikings. would, any
more than Finland, cringe before
Soviet Russia. So it is no surprise
to find Oslo and Stockholm defying
the yelled threats Of Moscow to visit
severe punishment upon the Nor
wegians and the Swedes If their press
does not desist from an "anti-Soviet
campaign" or II steps are not taken
to stop recruitment Of Scandinavian
volunteers and transit Of Anglo
French-I Italian war materials for the
aid of Finland.
Formal diplomatic protests by the
Kremlin, registering Red remon-
strances, have evoked prompt and
forceful replies. These constitute a
blunt refutation Of the Soviet Unions
right Cd to coerce Norway and
Sweden into suppression or censor
ship Of free press; 60 to dictate
interference with the regular flow
Of their legitimate foreign trade,
even If this involves a certain trans
shipment Of arms and munitions, or
CD to curb the natural sympathies
of the sister Scandinavian democra-
cies for their oppressed and invaded
eastern neighbor. In other words,
Scandinavia stands pat.
Norway fatty denies Russian accu-
sations OF neutrality violations. Mos
COW has a special grievance against
the Oslo government because Prime
Minister Hambro, as president of the
League of Nations, presided over the
session last month at which Russia
was expelled from Geneva. Sweden,
on her part, strikes the same note as
Norway. Stockholm comedies that
King Gustav's people cherish ardent
concern for Finland and that this
finds logical reflection in the press.
Swedish authorities render no as
sistance In recruiting volunteers,
while officers and privates of the
army do not participate in the Finn
ish war as volunteers. As for Finnish
importation of arms across Sweden,
this is the Firms good right and one
which the Stockholm government,
striving to maintain its trade rela-
tions with other countries, has no
thought of impeding or withdrawing.
Moscow brands these attitudes of
the Scandinavian kingdoms mot en-
tirely satisfactory" but so far the
bear contents itself with merely
showing the teeth it has left after
certain disastrous contacts with the
Finnish porcupine. Moscow speaks
of danger" in the Russo-Norwegian-
Swedish situation without as yet in
dicating any Soviet steps to cope
with it except automatically. There
Is, however, an ominous ring to re-
ports that Red planes were over both
Norwegian and Swedish soil Sunday
and bombed the Swedish island of
Kalla, on the western side of the
Gulf Of Bothnia, some sixty miles
from the nearest Finnish point.
There are also reports that Lulea,
important Swedish town near the
Finnish shores of the gulf, was Wis
tied by Russian bombers. Germany
would be interested In such an in
cident. . From the Lulea area she
imports Swedish ore.
Apart from the calm tone in which
Norway and Sweden reject Russian
claims Of British intrigue" to egg
Scandinavia into war against the
U. s. S. r.. the world at large now
adays takes with several grains
of salt statements Of almost any
kind emanating from the Moscow
lie factory. Five weeks ago Stain
and Molotoff contributed to the
gayety of nations by announcing
that the Firms, 100000 strong, had
invaded" the Soviets, 160,000,000
strong, and that Russia was re-
luctantly forced into war Of "self-
defense" Now, after meeting with
reverses at the hands of Finland's
Army on a scale which American
military authorities say is already
Of historic Importance" the Mos
COW ministry of mendacity has the
supreme effrontery to proclaim all
news Of Finn military victories as
"lies," and say that the soviet's
total list Of killed did not exceed
nine hundred when Mannerheim's
troops wiped out the Forty-fourth
Red army at Suomussalmi this
month.
These tall tales from Moscow are
supplemented by woman broad
caster there, airing official inexacti-
tudes in the Finnish language. The
Firms have nicknamed her "Olga
from the Volga." She is by way Of
becoming the Baron Munchausen
of her sex and race-a Goebbels in
red boomers.
Announcement is made of the ad.