Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-01-26
More Allied Help
Declared Necessary
For Firms 10 Win
Heavy Repereussions
Seen if Resistance Is
Permitted to CrumbIe
By PERTINAX.

PARIS, Jan. IS (N.A.N .A.-by ra-
dio) The question of what is in
store for Finland during the next
two months begins to cause some
uneasiness here. The victory
achieved against the Red Army by
the valiant Finnish troops has been
very brilliant indeed But will they
be able to withstand for any length
Of time the huge electives and war
material accumulated against them?
No competent man would dare to
answer this in the affirmative.
France and Great Britain, notWith-
standing their heavy commitments
on land and sea and in the air, have
lent substantial help, They have
sent to Helsinki quantity Of war
material which, measured by what
ever standard, cannot be called
negligible.
However. the contribution of other
nations to what ought to be regarded
as common cause has proved to be
disappointing. 1t cannot be said
that Norway's and SWeden's general
behavior are in keeping with their
oft professed ideal of Nordic solid
arity.
Do Not Resist Reich Pressure.
Why nave they been so careful to
declare publicly that they would act
according to established rules Of
neutrality since Soviet Russia has
not formally proclaimed the exist
ence of state of war, and, for
reasons of her own, still claims she
merely intervenes on behalf of a
so-called popular Finnish govern
ment? The truth is that they don't
adequately resist German pressure.
They don't even give, wholeheart-
edly. transport facilities across their
own territories.
1t is cause for wonder that the
Government of the United States,
which so openly encouraged the
League of Nations Assembly and
Council to vote for resolution last
December IA, should now move so
slowly in regard to granting credits.
To sum up, the Western powers
before long Will have to support
Flnland's cause much more directly
and on a wider scale if that coun-
trys independence is to be finally
safeguarded In Paris and London
the whole problem. therefore, will
have to be reconsidered.
1t may be expressed as follows:
Assuming that Finnish resistance
ol,1o l,o
likely to be exhausted when spring
arrives-what will be the conse-
quences upon the course of the war?
Reich Would Follow Soviet.
It is enough to merely look at a
map to be fully enlightened on that
point. The mineral resources in
Northern Scandinavia, iron ore and
nickel, would somehow find their
way into Germany's economic orbit.
Germany would speedily follow the
Russian conqueror and see to it
that she is not deprived of her
major share of the Spoils. The
spoils to be seized would not be con-
fined within Finland's borders. In
roads would be made, whenever this
was deemed useful, on Norwegian
and Swedish land.
More freely than ever. NorWays
territorial waters would be used by
German submarines, bent on carry
ing out offensive raids upon British
and neutral shipping, and by Ger
man ships, loaded with iron ore.
Owing to the magnitude of what
is at stake, Britain and France can
find only one excuse for remaining
inactive-that the whole under
taking lies outside practical posi-
bilities. But that excuse doesn't
appear to be regarded as valid by
experts.
No great eXertion would be re-
quired to destroy Russian power in
the Arctic Ocean and districts Dor
derlng on it. Moreover, it is difficult
to imagine that Norway and Sweden
would not move out of their present
Indifference and apathy were both
western democraces to 60 forward
boldly.
Objections might easily be raised
If better prospects for the creation
of new war front were to be found
elsewhere-for instance in South
eastern Europe, but such is not the
case In all ohter parts of Europe
the western democracies are denied
the opportunity to bring their mill
tary power to bear upon both total
itarian empires, except by first en-
listing the cooperation of a third
power.
Relations Break Inadvisable.
This is a very important con-
sideration, indeed, to be kept in
mind. The above doesn't imply that
as a first measure diplomatic rela-
tons with Russia ought to be sew
cred. On the contrary such a step
would only complicate the task of
France and Great Britain, since it
would result in disgruntling the
Turkish government and induce
Germany to enter the struggle
against Finland.
With Russia as a full belligerent
1t would make Sweden and Norway
still more cautious than they have
been hitherto, and strengthen the
Russian and German association. A
wiser course is to strike as hard as
possible at the Soviet Union, and vet
leave the way clear for retreat.
Russia may, of course, take the
initiative and recall her diplomatic
representatives from Paris and Lon
don, but the Western governments
would not find any advantage in
forestalling it to that effect. To
initiate the Asiatic practice of wag-
ing war and pretending not to, may
sometimes be of use.
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