The Wilmington morning star., 1944-09-05
FINLAND QUITS
WAR WITH RUSSIA


; and forests of Tundra and FlnnlSH
: lapland, the situation was obscure
Reports poured into Sweden that
the Germans were evacuating vol
unfairly, and if this was true, 1t
was the first time in this war they
left occupied soil without fight.
It was presumed that under
terms of the negotiated armistice
Carl Gustav Mannerheim, field
marshal and COMMUNICATIVE chief,
was, leading his country out of the
bitter struggle, Finnish troops
promptly began to fall back to
their 1910 border, from which they
launched their attack on the Rus
slams when Hitler began his inva-
! sion in 1941.
Tass, official Russian news
agency, gave a hint today that the
Russians we're not pleased with the
Finnish attitude preliminary to the
peace talks, and while this will not
necessarily lead to postponement,
the attitude brought cold comment
from the agency.
lass accused Finland's Prime
Minister, Hantii Hackzell, of adopt
ing an apologize attitude toward
the Germans in his Saturday decla-
ration that Finland was quitting the
war. In particular the agency was
displeased with what it called fail
ure of Hackzell to mention in that
declaration that Finland would
break relations with the Nazis, and
remove German troops by Sept. Is,
two essential preconditions of the
peace discussions.
However, few hours before
Mannerheiln' government an
nounced the armistice, an official
government declaration said dip
lomatic relations with Germany
would be broken, and Germany was
told that German troops remaining
in Finland after Sept Is would be
disarmed or informed as Allied war
prisoners.
Unconfirmed Stockholm press re-
ports said that for the past "a hours
stream of German vehicles
moved north toward Norway, and
the chief all-weather road in north
ern Finland had been clogged for
the past two days. The Swedish
newspaper Allehanda said Rovanie-
mi, German headquarters and chief
supply center, already had been
evacuated, and an Oslo report said
German authorities in Norway di-
rected all hotels and pensions in
the southern provinces of Norway
to close today, indicating these
places may be needed for the bill
letting of troops from Finland.
German morale in Finland has
been known to be low, and it was
believed many would prefer to be
disarmed rather than traverse the
rigorous road back to Norway and
more war.
In Berlin, Wilhelmstrasse COM
ment was guarded and non-com-
initial. A spokesman bemoaned the
discarding by Finland of the ''ideal
value" of Finnish-Nazi partner
ship, and said not only the people
of Germany but political circles"
were surprised at the manner Sin
which the importance of the Ger
man-Finnish relations has been at
tempted to be minimiZed"
The Berlin radio quoted a Fin
nish communique announcing the
severance of relations and demand
ing withdrawal of Nazi troops I'M
der conditions stipulated by Russia.
The final finnish communique of
the war detailed patrol and air &C.
tivity, and concluded with the
words: 'In accordance with the
agreement made, hostilities ceased
Sept. 4 at 8 am
The order was transmitted to
Finnish troops before dawn and
spread swiftly along the front. The
announcement first was broadcast
to the people at am. II pm.
Sunday, eastern war time) and an
hour later leaflets told the story to
the Helsinki population on its way
to work. The people were not par
ticularly happy, but they were OBJ
biously relieved. THANK God-at
last summed up the reaction of
many.
The armistice, which came three
years, three months and nine days
after Finland joined the Nazis in
the attack on Russia. was unique
in Russo-Finnish relations. There
was no armistice during discussions
which led to peace in March, 1910
after the Russian invasion.
Berlin dispatches to Helsinki
gave the impression that the dis
solution OF the Finnish !. German
partnership would be accomplished
in friendly manner.
Two small German steamers left
Turku this morning, bearing pos
sibly 300 troops. Another four were
waiting in Kotka harbor, apparent
ly for the same purpose, travellers
arriving here from Finland said.
Other sources indicated the with
draWal was in full swing.
Border observers reported long
lines of military trucks moving
across the Finnish frontier into
Norway.