Evening star., 1940-03-13
Scandinavia Greets
Peace, but Fears
For heFuture
Northern Defense Union
Discussed; Swedes
Call for Guarantee
BY the Associated Press.


dinavia received the Finnish peace
today with relief that the war was
over, sadness at Finland's capitula-
ton and with forebodings for the
future.
Talk of northern defense union
in which the little countries would
band together for protection against
more powerful neighbors was
brought out into the open with
rush.
Early editorial comment empha-
sized that Finland had made enor-
nous sacrifices in the interests of
peace in the North.
In Sweden especially there was in
dication that popular opinion,
shocked at the severity of the terms
imposed upon Finland, would insist
that some guarantee be given that
Finland will not have to fight alone
In the event of new attack.
Open to New Attacks.
Norway, too, was concerned. The
Oslo newspaper Dagbladet Said that
"the peace conditions made it i'm
possible for Finland to resist even
tual new Soviet attacks"
with a railway to be built to
Kemi (on the Gulf of Bothnia) the
Soviet army can at any moment cut
Finland in two and get to the Swed-
ish border" said the paper The
whole south of Finland will be de-
fenseless by losing the Mannerheim
Line Notifications and in the Rus
sian occupation of Hanko"
This paper observed that this is
a very hard peace, but under the
present circumstances it was the
best solution"
If Finland had continued the
war, Germany might have stepped
in and taken the whole of Finland
before help had arrived from the
western powers" Dagbladet said.
A similar view was expressed in
Denmark. Typical of Danish press
comment, the Copenhagen after
noon newspaper Ekstrabladget said
Finland sacrificed more for the
cause Of the north countries by ac-
cepting peace than by conducting
war. BY taking the heavy burden
of peace on herself she has pre-
vented the Scandinavian countries
from becoming new theater Of
war"
Swedes especially expressed griei
for Finland and a developing con-
Germ that the peace terms may bring
new threats to SWeden's own safety
Concerned Over Railway.
The proposed new railway te
Kemijarvi, in the center of Finland
from the Russian border, making g
| through line to Kemi across Centra
Finland. especially brought concern
10 Stockholm. 1t was pointed out
here, as in Oslo, that it may provide
the Russians with direct military
transportation toward North Swe.
len
The newspaper Svenska Dag.
bladet asks if the safety of the fu.
ture has not been sacrificed for {
momentary peace?"
The Swedish government newspa.
per Socialdemokraten said tha
only a defense alliance in life anc
death between the northern coun
tries can give all even a relativ,
feeling of safety for the futur,
which we are unable to procure a
single States 1t continued:
"We do not believe in the dura
bility of the new peace, and we d.
not believe in peace guarantees from
power which has dismembered an,
violenced a free people"
In general, however. Swedish re
action was that of evident relic
that the immediate threats to Swe
den's neutrality had been removed
Swedish Activists Bitter.
The peace terms came most bit
| terly to Swedish activists, who ha
campaigned for active Swedish in
tervention in the war. This grou
now is to continue its energies towar
securing financial and other hel
for Finland in the task of recon
Struction.
Now. more than ever, the Swedish
press said, Firms will need Swedisl
help.
The conservative Svenska Dag
bladet called the Moscow treaty
hard peace"
Many will say that Sweden is t,
blame. the newspaper went on, 'bu
at least the peace now must b.
guaranteed by Sweden in a defens
union with Finland and possibl,
with Norway"
Swedish Aid Cited.
The Stockholm Tidningen com
mented that without Swedish ma
terial and help the Firms could no
have held out as long as they di'
and added. Sweden must stand sid
by side with Finland with all re
sources, including military"
The Dagens Nyheter said the wa
had demonstrated the limitations o
Russian military power and tn
worth of Finnish arms, adding tina
Sweden must give Finland all pos
sible help lin the new situation"
Matching Swedish optimism wa
resentment, openly expressed, tina
the allies, through an 11th-hou
offer of an expeditionary force Il
help Finland, had sought to com
promise Sweden's neutrality.
It was believed in Stockholm tina
Helsinki's parliamentary ratification
of the treaty, yet to be given. wa
only a formality. The Finnish ne
gotiators were generally supposed tt
have been given governmental ap
proval before they signed the treaty
CriDD|e Kills E|derIv Pair