Evening star., 1940-01-14
Reds Brand as Lie
Report Of Germans
Revamping Army
Allegation $4,000 Were
Lost in SuomussuImi
Sector Termed 'Fontosy'
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Continued From First Page.)
crossed the Soviet frontier and waged
operations on the territory of the
U. S. S. r.
This is an utter lie and childish,
Titless. laughable lie at that"
Deny $4,000 Were Killed.
The statement said foreign agen-
cies had alleged that in the Suomus-
salmi section in middle Finland the
44th Soviet Division lost $4,000 men
and added, This allegation Is due
to the supernatural fantasy of its
authors. The 44th Division in all had
no more than 10000 men on the
front, then how could it lose 14,O0O?"
On the present status of the war
the statement said that in the Viipuri
area in Southern Finland Finnish
troops are about A miles from the
frontier; in the Arctic Petsamo Sec
ton about 80 miles from the frontier
and that in the Suomussalmi sector
IN the waist" of Finland, the Firms
were nearest Russian territory, be-
tween 6 and 10 miles from the from
tier.
1t declared Finnish troops had not
reached the frontier at single point
and that the Murmansk Railway,
instead OF being cut, had not sus-
pended service for "a single minute"
Moreover, the review contended
that Soviet troops had advanced
more than 80 miles into Finland
from the Petsamo Arctic district.
Infantry Units Clash.
The regular nightly communioue
OF the Leningrad headquarters said:
"Ukhta and Repola directions, ac-
tivities of scouting parties. Petroza-
vodsk direction, clashes of infantry
units continued. Karelian Isthmus.
activities OF scouts and in some Sec
tors, infrequent artillery fire"
Tass likewise distributed a review
by the Leningrad military area head
quarters of the second three-week
period of hostilities in Finland"
This said that during this period
mo substantial changes took place
at the front"
The review continued:
while in the first three weeks,
important operations took place
which ended in the creation of place
d'armes for Soviet troops on Fin
nish territory, in the second three
week period operations in most
cases were limited to ordinary
clashes, accommodating detachments
and small infantry units The heavy
cold which suddenly set in greatly
facilitated the position of the Fin
nish troops, but despite this, the
latter proved incapable of efficiently
profiting by the favorable situation.
Deny Lines Were Broken.
However, the foreign press espe-
cially the French and primarily the
French Havas News Agency, man
aged during this period to develop
extensive operations in the field,
fabrication and slanderous inven-
tions regarding Soviet troops.
This headquarters has no time
to refute every day all the SANDER
Gus fabrications by the representa-
tives of foreign agencies. But it be-
lieves 1t is not devoid of use from
time to time to sum up the SLAM
derous campaign of these gentlemen
and to expose their real face.
Firstly, foreign agencies referring
to mythical sources in Geneva, Htl-
sinki and Riga assert-not assert,
but shout themselves hoarse-that
Finnish troops have broken through
the front in all directions, crossed
the Soviet frontier and waged op-
erations on the territory of the
U. S. S. R.
This is an utter lie and a childish,
witless, laughable lie at that.
I'm reality, Finnish troops did not |
reach Soviet frontiers in any direc-
ton. AS a matter of fact, they
hardly set themselves such a task.
Seven Kilometers From Frontier.
I'm the Vyborg (viipurD direc-
ton the Finnish troops are 10 kill
ometers from the Soviet frontier;
Serdopola direction-80 kiloneters;
Petsamo direction south of Petsamo
-130 kilometers; Uleaborg direction
toward Rovaniemi-120 kilometers.
and in the direction of Suomussalmi
10 to Is kilometers.
Secondly, foreign agencies, espe-
cially Havas, referring to the same
sources allege that in battles in
the area of Suomussalmi the 44th
Soviet division lost $4,000 men,
This allegation is due to the |
supernatural fantasy of it's authors. |
The 44th Division in all had no
more than 10000 men on the front.
Then how could it lose $4,000? In
reality the casualties of Soviet
troops do not exceed 900 men and
they were due to the sudden cold
which set in rather than to the ac-
tions of Finnish troops.
But the foreign gossipers care
fully pass in silence the facts that |
Finnish troops lost there not less
than 1000 killed and wounded and
that members of the Finnish Schultz
Corps brutally killed their wounded
in order not to leave tongues in the
hands of Soviet troops.
Deny Murmansk Line Paralyzed.
Thirdly, referring to the same
Sources foreign agencies allege that
Finnish troops cut communications
along the Murmansk Railway and
that this line now was completely
paralyzed.' This is lie, similar tc
the previous allegation. This is evi-
dent from the aforementioned
fact that Finnish troops have not
reached the Soviet frontier in
single point, that Finnish troops are
dozens of kilometers distant from