Evening star., 1944-06-18

Dry This Year
The turn of the Finnish Republic
is coming next.
An overwhelming Russian Army
began the attack on that little re-
public on June 10. This offensive
is said to be in keeping with the
promises made by Premier Stain at
Teheran and the Red Armies would
|synchronize their attack on the
eastern front with the Allied offen-
sive in the west.
Finland is a republic of $500, 900
inhabitants. Russia has about 1885,
600, 900. It is hardly conceivable
that nation as large and as
strong as Russia can regard Fin
land as potential threat to
her security. Russia has had q
covetous eye on Finland for many
years. The real conflict began after
Germany and Russia invaded .Po-
land in 1899. Within less than two
months after Poland was crushed,
the Moscow government began to
consider Finland as a threat to her
security.
No offer to compromise was ac-
ceptable to Moscow. Within three
weeks after the warning note, the
Russian Armies began their march
into Finland.
The resistance of the Finnish
Army was heroic. The people OF
England, France and particularly
the United States were indignant
over the unwarranted Russian ag-
gression. The then British Prime
Minister, Neville Chamberlain, for
got for a while his appeasement
policies and declared from the floor
of the House Of Commons that Rus
sia's aggression was deeply re-
grettable."
The United States was ready to
send war material to Finland from
her low stocks. The American press
described Finland as the vanguard
Of democracy in the East" and her
people as liberal of mind and
heart" The Firms were called
"chivalrous in the traditional mean
ing of the word" The Firms went
down fighting. They accepted a
peace which deprived them of the
Karelian territories which expanded
the defenses of Leningrad. They
were coerced into accepting the
Moscow terms which, in the light
of today's occurrences, must be de-
scribed as generous.
U. S. Tries to Sway Firms.
Hitler's attack on Russia some Is
months later brought Finland into
the war against the U. S. s. r. The
Finnish government, described to-
day as an aggressive Fascist outfit
representing Fascist-minded peo-
Pile, decided to side with Hitler to
reconquer Finnish territory lost in
1910. At no time since the sum-
mer of 194l have Finnish troops
fought alongside the Germans on
any portion OF the huge eastern
front except in their own small
sector.
After we entered the war, the
American Government, which could
find no reason to brand the Firms
as enemies, tried to get the Hell
sinki government out of the con-
flict. Under American pressure,
the Finnish government started ne
gotiations with Moscow, but they
failed. The Soviet terms we're not
harsh on the surface, but meant,
in fact, the total subsection of Fin
land to Russia. The Firms are in
as desperate a position now as they
were few months ago. They are
people with a keen sense of realism
and are fully aware that they cam
not possibly continue to resist the
Russian steam roller. Yet they re-
fused to sign their own death war
rant They prefer to 60 down with
the flag flying from the top mast
than subscribe to the destruction
Of their own independence.
The inevitable destruction of Fin
lands independence, regardless of
what sugar coating the pill may
have, is for the people of this coun-
try symbol of the shape of things
to come in Europe. The American
people have a great admiration for
the military valor of the Red armies
Militarily and automatically the
American Government is associated
with the U. S. S. r. in this war.
Hence, 1t must witness the destruc-
ton of the eastern vanguard of
democracy" without being able to
lift finger on its behalf.
Finland is a small country where
true democracy, in the American
meaning, has taken deep root for
many generations. To the impartial
observer, her disappearance as a
sovereign state indicates the fate of
the other small states in Eastern
and Central Europe. If these nations
become subjected to powers large
enough to impose their will, the re-
ward which we have. been seeking
from our unstinted collaboration in
the fight against totaNtarianism
will be illusory. Our sacrifices may
have been in vain.
Two gigantic groups will be
formed in Europe with strongly op-
posed interests, PHILOSOPHERS and a
different civilization. Should the
principles Of the unexpurgated At
lantic Charter be set aside we may
witness another conflagration in
which the innocent bystander-the
United states-probably would have
L "a e,aHAx epaia