Evening star., 1942-12-23
Finland
Continued From First Page

| for the Axis, the old ones were
toasted The japanese joined the
Firms in the traditional skoal and
the Firms joined the japanese ir
their banZai shouts.
After the dinner the guests went
into the main reception room of the
Legation, where an appropriate film
was exhibited. 1t was the picture OF
the Japanese attack on Pearl Har-
Dor, to which had been added a few
close-ups, showing the damaged
American battleships. The Japs
must have obtained the film from
| the United States, since they looked
like our own close ups which hao
been gradually released after the
disaster.
The showing of those pictures
caused the already enthusiastic
audience to rise to it's feet and joir
the Japanese Embassy staff ir
shouts of banzai According to re-
liable but confidential reports. the
Finnish Premier was the chez,
| leader.
Story Leaked Out.
! AS was inevitable in a country
| where the masses are not pro-Axls
and still believe that Finland is
| f1ghtlng her own war which has
nothing to do with the conflict ol
the big fellows" details of the party
| leaked out.
1t also is possible that. because
Finland may decide to get off the
Axis band wagon if things turr
sour, some Of the Axis participants
to the feast may have caused the
story to be spread in Helsinki anc
abroad. In any event the American
Legation was informed of the fact.
and the short-Wave radio broadcast
to Finland followed
When Minister H. F.. SchoenfelC
reaches Washington in the next few
days he will give a first-hand ac-
count of what is going on in Fin
land today. Official quarters which
do not see any reason to break of
relations with Finland-for many
years the pet" of the American
Government and public-take a SER
ious view of the situation.
The mere fact that the country |,
fighting on the side of the Nazis
does not fully justify diplomatic
break and a declaration of war
Some official circles regard such 6
move as playing into the hands Of
the Axis, which would like to see 6
definite break between the United
States and Finland.
The American Government be.
lieves the Finnish people are in M
way hostile to the United States anc
that fundamentally they would like
to see the Axis defeated.
But whether this feeling still ex.
lists today is a matter on which
Mr.. Schoenfeld will be able to throw
further light.
Given Benefit Of Doubt.
Premier Rangell is in Office as 6
result of his election by popular vote
and whether he has had change ir
heart or the Firms themselves have
decided that the future of theil
| COuIlUIy Is uIlkcu W dil Ahio VlCtOi
is a question to be determined
shortly. For the time being, the
Firms are given the benefit of the
doubt.
1t Is quite possible that th'
exuberance of Premier Rangell a
the sight of the damaged Unitet
States warships was only the result
of a combination of alcoholic fume!
and delight over the decoration BY
the Japanese. But it also Is possibl.
that he felt that his people believe
the United States cannot preven
Russia from swallowing up FINLAND
in the event of an Allied victory.
In any event, Nazi propaganda ha!
been working overtime in trying t.
convince the Firms that they canno
look for any help from This countr,
if Germany is defeated. since, IL
spite of the Atlantic Charter. Moscow
will not allow the Allies to speak fol
Finland's independence.