Evening star., 1941-11-24
Russians AssaiIed
By Procope for Bids
To Halt Finnish War
Envoy Declares Soviet
Is Responsible for
Present Campaign

Hjalmar Procope, the Finnish Min
lister, today ascribed the Soviet at
tempts at diplomatizing Finland out
of the current Russian campaign to
Irritation in seeing Finland in a
position to take appropriate meas
ures for its security, measures which
will enable the small northern
democracy to achieve, at the price of
great sacrifices. freedom from fear
and continue free from all political
obligations" In a statement given
to the press he added:
For the difficulties the Soviet gov
eminent has been encountering on
the Finnish front it has to blame
itself and its action in 1899 by which
1t gained nothing but an untenable
military position and lost a safe
frontier to the detriment OF its own
defenses."
The implication Of Minister Pro-
eope's statement was that Finland is
still opposed to withdrawing from
the war
Text of Statement.
The statement said:
1.-THE Soviet Government attempts
to deny that Finland is in self-de-
fense at war with Russia. Every
student of European politics is, for
tunately, we'll aware that the argu-
ments brought forward by the Mos
COW government in justification OF
their aggression against Finland are
based on distortion of established
historical facts.
"The recognition by the Soviet
Government of Finland's independ-
ence at the beginning of 1918 is cited
bv Moscow as conclusive evidence
Of the friendly attitude adopted by
Russia toward Finland. AS matter
Of fact it was the plan of Russia to
reconquer Finland with the help OF
fifth columns.
"The Russian government staged
In February, 1918, Communist up
heaval and launched her troops,
which still were in Finland. against
the Finnish legal government and
the small Finnish army composed
mainly from the ranks of Finnish
peasants. The Soviet government
at that time openly declared that
their army was in war against Fin
land.
ITO justify the ruthless invasion
Of Finland in 1889 the Soviet gov
ernment now finds it useful to al
lege that aggressive enemies OF the
U. S. S. r., Including certain rulers
of Finland. were ready to transform
Finland into base for attack on the
Soviet Union An allegation of
this kind belongs to the same cate
CORY Of Soviet arguments as the
famous and unexpected artillery fire
from the Finnish territory on No
vember 26. 1899, which in reality
was staged by Soviet troops on their
own territory and used by the Mos
COW government as a pretext for
an attack against a neighbor which
had shown her willingness to make
considerable territorial concessions
for the sake of peace.
Cites League Decision.
"On the other hand, the world has
not forgotten and will never forget
the decision Of the League of Ma
lions OF December ID, 1899, by which
the Soviet Union was condemned as
m aggressor which had violated not
only its special agreements with
Finland but also the Covenant of
the League OF Nations and the Kel-
Iorr pact.
After the criminal war Of 1939-40
the Soviet resumed the hostilities on
June % this year and forced Finland
again. the third time in genera
tion, to take up arms in self-defense
To glorify this new act OF violence
the Soviet government, in total dis
regard Of its own experiences as to
the independence and determination
Finland has shown in its foreign
policy, describes Finland as ar
'obedient tool In the hands of the
Hitlerite clique of imperialist in
vaders'
After having in less than veal
invaded six of her neighbors-Ru.
mania, Poland. Lithuania. Latvla
Estonia, Finland-and treacherously
subjugated three of them into g
state of slavery, the Soviet Unlor
now protests its innocence BY
stamping one of its victims as ar