The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1947-12-01

auction would win the war"
A great deal of the friendship
Tor America is due to the splen-
did work of American relief So
cieties, such as the American
FRIENDS Service Committee, who
nave rendered exemplary serv-
ice in northern Finland, and
C.A.R.E., which has distributed
large numbers of food packages,
clothing parcels, etc. These peo-
ple nave endeared themselves to
the Firms because they have been
Wiling to live like the Firms in
lhlr most severe difficulties, and
TO share their work and their
hardshlpS with them. Some, in
deed, like Stuart Moore of the
Quaker group, have even taken
the trouble to learn Finnish, one
OF the worlds most difficult
languages.
"A tip from the CARE. office
may be of interest to other Amer
leans. What we need most" he
said, sis general relief. The per-
sonal gifts of food and clothing
packages from Americans to
relatives in Finland help a great
deal. But what we need is more
general relief packages, which we
are permitted to distribute where
the need is greatest. We can do
this, because we are in constant
touch with all relief agencies op-
Grating in Finland, and all of
these are more than glad to sup
ply lists of persons who need
help the most"
Few Firms will talk openly
about Russia. ('Whether you
know it or not" one chap told
me, "the Russians know you are
here.") But there is deep
seated hatred for the Soviet. "It
isn't just this war;" a Finn re-
marked one evening. "It goes
back a long, long time, for we
have been fighting the Russians
for years. And WE say that "a
Russian is still a Russian, even
if you fry him in butter"
Principal cause of this hatred
now lies in the PREPARATIONS agree
ment. "All the dictator nations
who have fought in the war;
said one, Finn, "have been .o,ln-
ished. We do not understand
why we should be punished. Re-
MEMBER" he added bitterly, eve
didn't start winter war with Rus
STA. We were attacked. And
when we fought with the Ger
mans, it was because we were
compelled. Duping the war, the
Russians were quite happy to
have our help in providing mill
tary information about the Nazls
but after the war they soon
forget, although they knew our
plight"
He pointed to a large office
building in one section of the
city occupied by the Russian
Control Commission, and to the
Tormi hotel in another quarter,
used by the same agency. "They
have their stooges everywhere"
he said grimly, "but on the sur
face they are very we'll be-
haved." "Of course" he added,
none of us go to the Capitol,
the Russian movie house. even
when they show such films as
Bambi which is now playing. Re-
CARELESS, no self-respecting Finn
would be seen in the place.
"We are-although we don't
like it-trying to live up to our
Preparations agreement, but the
Russians use every opportunity
for provocations, to delay us.
They didn't think we could do
it, and now that we have shown
that we are determined to fulfill
it, they do all sorts of little things
to make trouble.
"a shipment of machinery was
delivered to the designated place
at the designated time. When it
arrived the Russians said they
were not ready to inspect it. So
we attempted to place it under
cover, but they would not per-
nit us to do it. Some weeks
later, after the machines had
been out in the weather, they
were rusty and weather-damag-
ed. Now the Russians inspect
them an drefuse to accept. So