The Daily Alaska empire., 1940-02-26

Rumors are born, live giddy life moving from one table to another until they become official reports" or die of sheer improbability,
 The former Prime Minister. Aimo Cajander, is seen here occa- sionaily, dining with old friends. Juho Paaikivi. member of the new cabinet and head of the ne- gctiating committee to Moscow, who talked to Stalin and lest the argument frequently adds quyet dignity to the room
 Little Man Who Isn't There
 Alone at small table in the center of the dining room sits 8 little Finnish officer in a we'll pressed uniform, retired and classed as too old to serve at the front, Every day he turns up at the Kaemp, takes a seat alone and broods silently in protest against the rule which keeps him from fighting the Russians.
 Seventy or 80 correspondents from all parts of the world drift into this fantastic atmosphere at least once day. A
 Each day at a.n4. a slow-mov- ing waiter with sleep In his eyes begins passing out boiled eggs and coffee to early risers. Thirty or more tables usually are occupied from noon to l0:30 pm, when last drinks are served. Lights go out at II pm. and citizens are expect ed to go to bed to be up early for tomorrows .air-raid alarms
 When an alarm comes, there is great activity in Hotel Kaemp. Some persons rush for their coats just outside the dining-room door. Some run to their rooms to get heavy clothing. A few stand ner- vously in the corridor or lobby. Others just sit in the dining room and continue the conversation. The little officer just sits there, a tired, perhaps contemptuous, smile on his face. If he can't fight Russians at the front, he won't let their bombers frighten him here.
 The correspondents react in vari- ous ways. Some of them continue eating especially if they have been fooled many times. Others go across the street to under ground afraid shelters There they stand in the entrance and watch Stalin's silvery planes glide over the city y
 No Newsreels--Yet
 A few blocks away is another hotel with B tower, one of the highest structures in the city. Here an American newsreel man has waited for weeks to get pictures of Russian bombers at work. From the tower some corresporidents watch the Red fliers soaring over the capital, and wonder what to- days objectives may be. e
 Often ,ithe planes pass over the city in stately formation without a pause. If .Helsinki is on the list for the day, you feel the earth shake, watch for the smoke and then rush down and try to find an auton1o- bile. More destruction and ruins to describe with new adiectives If possible. q
 Back to the Kaemp then. An official of the government infor- nation department tells corre- spondents: Press conference at 2 pm, new communique."
 At p.m., the little room oh the mezzanine is crowded with men and women talking French. Ger man, English, Finnish, Swedish. Italian and English. The press of- ficer hands out copies of the days communique.
 "The enemy's air force was very active" it often says. Many cities in Southern Finland were bombed. There were few casualties
 Down below in the dining room, the little officer is still sitting look ing into his glass. The battle rages at the various tables. A new cam paign has started in an entirely new sector, although the commit nique had nothing to say about it.