Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-12-19
Finnish Relations
With America CIouded
Writer Discusses History
Of Struggle Involving
R1ssio and Axis
By Bertran1 Benedict.

NuSSiu OUO AAtS
By Bertram Benedict.
The United States is in something of
an anomalous position in remaining at
peace with Finland. The Soviet Union
and Great Britain, our allies, are at war
with Finland, Finnish Army is on
Russian soil and German forces are
using Finnish territory as base from
which to attack United Nations conveys
to Russia.
Obviously, the United States hopes to
detach Finland from the Axis military
camp. Finland, on its side, has a
bear by the tail as long as German forces
are in the country in sufficient force to
take it over, also to execute Finnish
leaders instrumental in pulling out of
the war. Whether Russia is in position
or frame of mind to lend aid to Finland
against Germany is highly problemati-
cal; certainly Great Britain is in no
geographical position to do so.
In October, 1889, soon after occupy
ing Eastern Poland, the Soviet Union
made demands on Finland which Fin
land, although willing to grant them in
part, declared would reduce her to the
status of Soviet protectorate. On No.
vember 80, Russia opened war. AS a
result Russia was expelled from the
League of Nations in the following
month for unjustified aggression, al
though the League had taken no such
action against Japan in 1881, nor against
Italy in 1885. For time Finland held
out, but was soon forced to surrender
In the peace treaty of March IL, 1910,
Finland coded about one-tenth of its
area, containing about one-eighth of its
total population of 3,650.00o.
In September, 1910. Finland, over
British protests, granted to Germany
the right to use certain Finnish rail-
roads to transport troops to Northern
Norway. On June II, 1941, five days
before Germany invaded Russia, Finland
withdrew from the League of Nations.
Finland modified its army and evacu-
ated civilians from certain cities, thus
evincing bellicose intentions. At all
events, when Hitler announced his war
on Russia, he spoke of German troops
being united with their Finnish COM
rades" to protect Finnish soil.
Actual hostilities seem to have been
precipitated by Russian air attacks
Moscow claims that these were delivered
only against German forces and depots
in Finland, also that almost at the same
time Finnish forces attacked Russian
positions.
Some opposition to the new war was
manifested within Finland; it increased
as Finland regained all the lost territory
and went across the old Russian from
tier. Now Finland holds about as much
territory in Russia as Russia took from
Finland in 1910. For some months the
Finno-Russian front has been quiet
Finnish forces occupy a part of the
Murmansk Leningrad Railroad, but
south of the junction with line run
ming east, over which transportation to
Moscow is available. Finland has
signed November, 194D the Anti-Com-
intern Pact, but not the Berlin Rome
Toxic military alliance.
In 1899 American sympathy was al
most unanimously with Finland, and
Congress voted Finland credit Of Sl0,-
100000. later increased to $4,000 900 for
non military purposes. Congress also au-
thorized Finland to postpone her war
debt payments due in 1910, 1941 and 1912.
In June, 1941, the United States froze
Finnish funds and credits in the United
States. In November Secretary of State
Hull publicly warned Finland that its
course was alternating American SYM
pathy, and in the following month, after
Pearl Harbor, the United States took
over Finnish vessels in American ports.
The United States did not declare war
on Finland at the same time as on Hun
gary, Rumania and Bulgaria, but these
three Balkan states had previously de-
clared war on the United States. In
July, 1912, the United States closed its
consulates in Finland and Finnish con-
sulates in the United States; 1t did not
follow the example of Germany, Italy
and Japan in sending cordial greetings
on Finland's 25th anniversary OF indie
pendence on December 6, 1912.