Evening star., 1941-09-15
Finland Says Russia
Violated 1910 Peace
In II Instances
Document Outlines
Background Of Current
War With Soviet


blue book today on the background
of the current war with Russia,
charging the Soviet with IL major
violations of the peace which ended
the earlier Finnish-Russian War
in March. 1910. The official presen-
tation of the Finnish argument
contradicts inferentially the opinion
that Russians were provoked to at
tack in June by the presence Of
German troops there. Hialmar
Procope, Finnish Minister here, re-
marks in the preface:
1.-THE reader will find how Russia
forced Finland to allow the trans
port of Russian troons through the
southern part of the country. Only
after this agreement was forced CT
Finland the transit Of German
troops through northern Finland
to and from Norway was granted.
1.-The German transit has been
played up in the world press. The
Russian transit has scarcelv been
mentioned, although the Russian
troops passed through the heart of
the southern part of our country,
while the Germans went mainly
through the wilderness of Lapland.'
Russian Coercion Charged.
The blue book. 100 pages long, Is
barren of other references to Ger
man interest in Finland. Selected
documents are provided to support
the Finnish charge of Russian
coercion against Finland and in
reference in Finnish affairs. In
cluded is a telegram from Finnish
Minister Paasikivi in Moscow De-
cember 7, 1910, to his Foreign Min
istry:
THE second statement made by
Commissar Molotov on December 6
was as follows:
ave do not wish to interfere IN
the matter. or make any hints with
reference to the nominations for a
new presidential candidate in Fin
land. but we are watching closely
the preparations for the election.
We shall conclude whether Finland
desires peace with the U. S. S. R.
on the basis of who is chosen as
President.
at Is clear that if some such per-
son as Tanner, Kivimaki, Manner
helm of Svinhufvud is elected Presi-
dent, we shall draw the conclusion
that Finland does not wish to OBJ
serve the Peace Treaty she has con-
cluded with the U. S. S. r.
Risto Ryti was elected president.
Called Ordeal by Peace"
Minister Procope calls the Is
months between Finnish-Russian
wars an ordeal by peace" and a
"long road to Golgotha." Specifl-
cally, the Finnish government pre-
sentS these charges against Russia:
/. Russia demanded the right to
q concession of the Petsamo nickel
mines, despite the fact that they
were held on concession by the
British Canadian Mond Nickel Co.,
subsidiary Of the British-oWned
International Nickel Co.
2. Russia forced on Finland
secret-and so in Finland unconsti-
acknowledgements to permit Rus
sian troops to be transported by
rail across Finnish territory to the
Gulf of Finland base of Hanke,
which Russia had under lease from
Finland. The peace treaty did not
touch on this matter. The agree
ment was made September 6, 1910.
8. Russia demanded that Finland
return to the Karelian area, ceded
to Russia in the March, 1910, peace
treaty, all property removed from
the area during the war, and re-
quired the return of all civil and
military property to the leased
Hanko area. The peace treaty re-
ferred to territories but not to re-
moved property.
T. Russia advised Finland not to
enter into a defensive alliance with
Sweden.
5. Russia demanded that Finland
demilitariZe the Aaland Islands,
which Finland had fortified in 1921
under the terms of an international
agreement with Germany, Den
mark, France, Great Britain, Italy,
Sweden and others.
6. Russia failed to provide Fin
land with materials to construct
the Finnish section OF the
Kemijarvi Kandalaksha Railway,
arranged for in the March, 1910,
peace, and accused Finland Of
violating the peace when the road
was not built. Finland lacked rails
and bridge-building materials.
Travel in Submarines.
Y. Russian consular officers were
found on numerous occasions in
Finnish areas in which all travel
was forbidden. Russia demanded
that her diplomats be allowed to
travel in submarines in Finnish
waters If need be.
8. The Soviet government sup
ported the Society for Peace and
Friendship between Finland and the
U. S. S. r., which the Finnish gov