Evening star., 1948-03-31
FinIand's 5 Communist
Minister Of Inferior
Under Heavy Attack
BY the Associated Press

HEISINKI, Mar. 3l.-Right-
lists in Parliament and the
Finnish press aimed a steady
drumfire of criticism today at
Finland's Communist Interior
Minister. They voice the sus-
picion he has infiltrated the
country's police force with
Communists.
The Interior Minister, Yrjo Leino
is now in Moscow as a member of q
seven-man Finnish delegation sent
to negotiate friendship and mill.
tary pact with Russia. He must
answer the charges before Parlia-
ment when he gets back. He Is not
expected to reply for several weeks
There has been no announcement
either here or in Moscow as yet con-
cerning conclusion of the treaty
suggested by Prime Minister Stain.
Reliable sources said President Juho
K. Paasikivi summoned the chair
man and vice chairman of the six
party bloc in Parliament to meet
with him this afternoon. He took a
similar step when Mr.. Stains let
ter suggesting thepact arrived five
weeks ago.
New Instructions Drafted.
Informed sources say the Presi-
dent has the broad outline of what
the Russians want and is drawing
up new instructions for the delega-
ton in Moscow, aimed to meet Rus
sia's requests and still keep Finland
outside big-power conflicts.
At the same time, Firms focused
considerable attention on what the
press calls the question of the
Communists and the police" Par
liamentary leaders Of all parties
to the right have asked the gov
ernment what 1t Is doing to halt
alleged recruiting of Communist
minded persons for the secret police.
the mobile corps and other vital
police branches, and the assignment
of police powers to private persons
The deputies said that in pre-
senting the question, they had in
mind the recent events in Czecho-
slovakia. They said their action
was intended to be preventive.
Hertta Kuusinen, Leinos wife and
one of the leaders of the Com
munist Party in Finland, said in
a recent speech last week:
Finland must follow the same
road as Czechoslovakia."
Responsible Finnish sources claim
that Leino, who has been running
the Interior Ministry for three years,
has completed a thorough reor-
ganization of his department, bring
ing in men he deems reliable"
The Conservative newspaper
Kauppalehti commented that when
the Communists took over in
Czechoslovakia the police played a
prominent role. Finland, the paper
said. had better watch out.
The nation must be on it's guard
and follow closely what is happen
ing" Kauppalehti said.
The paper estimated that 10 per
cent Of Helsinki's police force stands
close to the Communists, and that
the leader of the mobile police force
in Helsinki, which corresponds to
a state trooper force in the United
States, is an active Communist.
Kauppalehti also put the finger on
5000 men in the auxiliary police,
500 of them in Helsinki.
Police Chief Denies Charges.
Aarne Wirta, commander of the
mobile police force for Finland as a
whole, denied parliamentary charges
that his organization was trying to
recruit only men with Communist
views.
Most papers in Finland have taken
the stand that. right or wrong, the
questions raised in Parliament have
caused growing feeling Of distrust
in the minds of Firms and that the
government had better give the
questions serious examination.