THRE ADVOCATE

Page Three

are pursuing a policy of re
fie twoards the Soviet Union,”
fe toy declared.

Fsmissing as ‘fantastic’ stories
£) planned Red army ‘march on
a i, ‘march on the East’ and the
is} Molotov remarked that “they
@aesuch obvious absurdities that
must completely lose his senses
nay: lieve such absurd lies.”
a review of the Soviet-Finnish
Molotoy asked: “What was
meaning of the war that took

thiz-odd months?” He answered
| question in these words:
© “As you know, the meaning of
augje events lay in the necessity of
Saizuarding the security of the
: hwestern frontiers of the Sov-
Union. And above all, safe-
£ SELLS the security of Lenin-
4 All through OGctober and No-
ae ee of last year, the Soviet gov-
nent discussed with the Finnish
ernment proposals which, in
- of the existing international
ation which was growing more
# more inflammable, we con-
sired absolutely essential and
mt for safeguarding the secur-
fof our country and especially
Eleningrad Nothing came of
$e negotiations in view of the
Miendly attitude adopted by the
Hiish representatives.
)*he decision of the issue passed
iG he field of war: It may safely
said that if Finland had not
@: subject to foreign influences;
| inland had been less incited by
sain third states to adopt hostile

*t should be mentioned that until
ently these fortifications were
sidered impregnable, that is,
Sy2 aS no army had ever broken
Gough before. it should also be
mitioned that Finnish military
@gaocrities had endeavored before-
Hid to concert every little village
ithe area into fortified position
#f plied with arms, radio-antennae,
i. stations. In many parts south
east in Finland strategic rail-
ws and highways of no economic
fortance whatever had been built
fling right up to our frontier.
‘In short, hostilities in Finland
“Gve shown that already by 1939
Goland and especially the Karel-
41 isthmus had been converted
Wito military bases for attack by
ird powers on the Soviet Union,
r attack on Leningrad. Incon-
rvertible facts show that the
stile policy which we encoun-
red on the part of Finland last
> tumn $vas no fortuitous thing.
“oreces hostile to the Soviet Un-
42 had prepared in Finland such
litary bases against our coun-
- and in the first place against
ningrad, which in event of a
‘tain foreign situation unfayor-
“le to the USSR, was to play its
rt in the plans of anti-Soviet
\rces of imperialists and their
ies in Finland.
Not only has the Red army
ashed the Mannerheim line, and
reby covered itself with glory
the first army to force its way
jer most difficult conditions
Gough deep, powerful zones of
®iectly modern military fortifi-
# ions; not only has the Red army

ich had been made ready for an
Rack on Leningrad, but it has also
Gg an end to certain anti-Soviet

i Tt is not difficult to see that the
Sir in Finland was not merely an
Scounter with Finnish troops. No,
is matter was more complicated
$:n that. It was not merely Fin-
sh troops that our troops en-
ontered, but the combined forces
imperialists of 4 number of
untries, including British, French
Ed others who assisted the Fin-
sh bourgeoisie with every form
weapon, especially artillery and
“craft as well aS with their men
| the guise of ‘volunteers,’ with

ld and eyery kind of supplies and
+h their frenzied propaganda all
er the world with the purpose of
ndling war aganist the Soviet
jion in every way-

“To this should be added that
aidst the furious howling of the
,emies of the Soviet Union al-
ays the loudest of all were the
uealing voices of all those pros-
hited ‘Socialists’ of the Second
‘ternational, all those Attlees and
jums, Citrines and Jouheaux,
ranmells and Hoeglunds — all
ose lackeys of capital who sold
emselves Body and soul to the
ar Jnongers.”

‘In further reference to foreign
a to Finland, Molotov declared
at Britain's Prime Minister
hamberlain had “expressed mali-
ous regret at having failed to pre-
ent termination of the war in Fin-
nd, thus turning his ‘peace-loving’
aperialist soul inside out for all
1e world to see,” and named Brit-
n, France, Sweden and Italy as
aving contributed planes, arms
ad munitions “to fan the war in
inland,’ ‘adding that Finland “also
sceived aid from such a devotee
— ‘peace’ as the United States of
merica.’ *

Said the Soviet premier:

Reviews USSR Peace With Finland

Military Bases Were
fesigned For Attack
a Certain Situation

policy towards the Soviet Union—
the Soviet Union and Finland would
have arrived at a peaceful under-
standing already last autumn and
matters would have been settled
without war. But, despite the fact
that the Soviet government reduced
its requests to the minimum, settle
ment could not be reached by diplo-
matic means.

‘Now that hostilities in Finland
have ceased and the peace treaty
between the USSR and the Repub-
lic of Finland has been signed, it is
necessary and possible to judge the
Significance of the war in Finland
in the light of incontrovertible
facts.

‘And these facts speak for them-
selves: They show that in the
neighborhood of Leningrad, all over
ithe Karelian Isthmus to a depth of
from fifty to sixty kilometers, Fin-
nish authorities had created nu-
merous powerful ferro-concrete
and granite and earth fortifications
armed with artillery and machine
guns. These fortifications ran
into many hundreds. These fortifi-
cations, especially the ferro-con-
crete structures, attaining high de-
free of military strength, connected
by underground thoroughfares, sur-
rounded by anti-tank trenches and
granite anti-tank obstacles, and
Supported by countless mine fields,
together constituted what was
known as the Mannerheim line
Which was built under the super-
vision of foreign experts on the
model of the Maginot line and the
Siegfried line.

‘ells Of Atrocities

plans which some third countries
had been hatching during the last
few years.

“How far had gone the enmity to-
wards our country on the part of
the Finnish ruling and military cir-
cles whe had prepared military
bases against the Soviet Union is
also seen from numerous cases of
exceptionally barbarous atrocities
perpetrated by Finnish Whites on
wounded Red armymen who had
falien into their hands.

“When in one of the areas
north of Ladoga lake Finnish
Whites surrounded our hospital
dugouts where one hundred and
twenty severely wounded men
were lying, they billed them to
& man. Some were burnt, others
were found with shattered sinulls,
while the rest had been bayonet-
ed or shot. In addition to mortal
wounds a large number of the
Imen who died there and in other
places were found to haye been
shot in the head or finished off
with rifle butts, while some of
the men who had been shot were
found to have knife stabs in their
faces. Some of the corpses had
been beheaded and heads could
not be found.

“As to our medical nurses who
fell into the hands of Finnish
Whites, they were subjected to
special atrocities and incredible
brutalities. In some cases corpses
were found tied to trees head
down. All these barbarities and
countiess atrocities were the fruit
of the policy of the Finnish
White Guards in their endeavor
to fan hatred towards our coun-
try among their people. Such is
the true face of these Finnish
champions of “Western Civiliza-
tion.’

bcorns ‘Socialists’

“According to incomplete in-
formation at our disposal the
total munitions of all kinds sent
to Finland by other countries
only during the war amounted
to not less than 350 airplanes;
about 1500 guns; over 6000 ma-
chine guns; about 100,000 rifles;
650,000 hand grenades; 2,500,000
‘shells; 160,000,000 cartridges and
much else. There is no need to
cite other facts to show that
what was going on in Finland
was not merely our collision with
Finnish troops. It was a colli-
sion with combined forces under
imperialist states most hostile to-
wards the Soviet Union.

“By smashing these combined
forces of our enemies, the Red
army has added another glorious
page to its history and has shown
that the springs of valor, self-sacri-
fice and beroism among our people
are inexhaustible.

“The war in Finland has exacted
heavy sacrifices both from us and
from the Finns. According to esti-
Imates of our general staff the
number killed on our side and
those who died of wounds was
48,745, or somewhat less than 49
thousand men. The number wound-
ed was 158,868. Attempts are be-
ing made on the part of the Finns
to minimize their losses, but their
casualties were considerably bigger
than ours. Our general staff places
the number of Finnish killed at
not less than 60,000 without count
ing those who died of wounds, and
the number of wounded not less
than 250,000.

“Thus, considering that the
strength of the EKinnish army was
not less than 600,000 men, one must
admit that the Finnish army lost
in killed and wounded over half its
total strength. Such are the facts.”

Contrasted by Molotov was the
attitude of the British and French
governments towards Finland and
their attitude towards Albania.

“Did England and France come
to Albania’s defense?” he asked.
“Did they even raise a feeble voice
of protest against Italy's predatory
action in forcibly subjugating Al-
bania without the least regard for
its population of more than a mil-
lion people and completely ignor-
ing the fact that Albania was a
member of the League of Nations?”

Britain. and France, continued
Molotov, had “not dared to raise
the question of Italy’s seizure of
Albania in the League of Nations,”
but had “virtually sanctioned this
seizure.” ‘

Declared he: “Consequently it is
not protection of small nations and
not protection of the rights of
members of the League of Nations
that evplain the support rendered
Finland by the ruling circles of
England and France against the
Soviet Union. This assistance is to
be explained by the fact that in Fin-
land they had military bases ready
for an attack upon the USSR,
Whereas Albania did not occupy
Such a place in their plans.”

Reference was made by the Sov-
jet premier to the fact that the
Times in Britain and Le Temps in
France had for some months led
& capitalist press chorus “openly
calling for intervention against the
Soviet Union without the least re-

Gard for the fact that so-called |

normal diplomatic relations exist
between England and France on
the one hand and the Soviet Union
On the other,’

He continued: “In step with
these leading bourgeois newspapers
and even a little ahead of them
are the speeches from the servants
hall that has now been instituted in
every ‘respectable’ bourgeois state
for ‘Socialists’ of the type of Atlee
in England and Blum in France,
who are doing their utmost to fan
and spread the flames of war.”

In further reference to Finland,
Molotoy declared that imperialist
plans against the Soviet Union had
been thwarted, “not because of the
lack of zeal on the part of anti-
Soviet forces in England and
France and not merely because at
the last moment leading circles in
Finland and also in Sweden and
Norway showed at last some glim-

merings of reason. These plans
were thwarted by the brilliant suc-
cesses of the Red army, particular-
ly on the Korelian isthmus.”

Said he: “Recent events have re-
Minded us all of the necessity of
continuing steadily to increase the
might of our Red army, and of all
defenses of our country.

“In the early part of February
the Finns made practical moves
for the termination of the war in
Finland. We learned through the
Swedish government that the Fin-
nish government desired to ascer-
tain our terms upon which the war
could be brought to a clase. Before
deciding this question we ap-
proached the people’s government
of Finland for their opinion on this
question. The people’s government
expressed the view that in order to
put an end to the bloodshed and to
ameliorate conditions of the Fin-
ish people, the proposal to termi-
hate the war should be welcomed.
Thereupon we proposed our terms
which soon after were accepted by
the Finnish government

“J must add that a week after
negotiations with the Finns were
opened, the British government
also expressed a desire to ascer-
tain whether there was any pos-
sibility of mediation, ostensibly
with the object of stopping the war
in Finland. But when Maisky, our
ambassador in England, informed
London of our proposals which
were subsequently adopted in their
entirety by Finland, the British
government did not wish to cooper-
ate in stopping the war and in re-
storing peace between the USSR
and WFinland. Nevertheless, an
agreement was soon reached be-
tween the USSR and Finland.

“The results of the agreement to
terminate hostilities and establish
peace are contained in the peace
treaty signed on March 12, In this
connection the question arose of
the people’s government dissolving
itself, which it did. You are fa-
miliar with the terms of the peace
treaty. This treaty has changed
the southern and partly the eastern
frontiers of Finland. The whole
Karelian isthmus together ‘with
Vibork and Viborg bay, the whole
western and northern shore of Lake
Ladoga together with Kexholm and
Sortavala have passed to the Soviet
Union.

“Magnanimous Peace’

“In the region of Kandalaksha
where the Finnish frontier ap-
proached particularly close to the
Murmansk railway, the frontier
Aras been pushed further back. Fin-
land ceded to the Soviet Union
small sections of Sredny and Ry-
bachy peninsulas which belonged
to her in the north and certain
groups of islands in the Gulf of
Finland together with the Island
of Hogland. In addition, the Soviet
Union has acquired on 80 years
lease in return for annual payment
of eight million Finnish marks the
Peninsula of Hango and adjacent
islands where we shall build a
naval base as a protection against
ageression at the entrance of the
Gulf of Finland.

“Furthermore, the treaty facili-
tates the transit of goods for Swed-
en and Norway and the Soviet
Union.

“At the same time the peace
treaty provides for mutual absten-
tion from aggression and from par-
ticipation in hostile coalitions. At-
tempts have been made in the Eng-
lish and French press to depict
the Soviet-Finnish treaty, and par-
ticularly the transfer of the Kare-
lian isthmus to the Soviet Union,
as ‘destruction’ of the independence
of Finland. This, of course, is ab-
surd and a downright falsehood.
Finland still comprises territory
nearly four times as large as Hun-
gary and over eight times as large
as Switzerland. If mo one has any
doubt that Hungary and Switzer-
land are independent states, how
can there be any doubt that Fin-
land is independent and sovereign?

“The English and French press
also wrote that the Soviet Union
wants to convert Finland into a
mere Baltic state. That is too ab-
surd, of course. It is sufficient to
point to the fact that after having
occupied the region of Petsamo on
the Arctic coast during the war, the
USSR voluntarily restored this re-

gion to Finland, considering it ne-
cessary to let Finland have an ice-
free ocean port. Brom this is fol-
lows that we regard Finland as a
northern and not merely a Baltic
country. The truth does not lie in
these fabrications of the English
and French newspapers which are
old hands in the art of forgery in
their anti-Soviet propaganda.

“The truth lies elsewhere. It

is that the Soviet Union, having
Smashed the Finnish army and
haying every opportunity of oc-
cupying the whole of Finland, did
not do so and did not demand
any indemnities for its expendi-
tures in the war as any other
power would have done, but con-
fined its desires to the minimum
and displayed magnanimity to-
ward Finland.

“What is the basic idea of the
peace treaty? It is that it prop-
erly insures safety of Leningrad
and of Murmansk and of the Mur-
mansk railway. This time we could
not confine ourselves merely to
the desires we expressed last au-
tumn, acceptance of which by Fin-
land would have averted the war.

“After the blood of our men had
been spilt through no fault of our
Own and after we had become con-
vinced that the hostile policy of
the Finnish government towards
the Soviet Union had gone very
far indeed, we were obliged to put
the question of security of Lenin-
grad on a more reliable basis and,
moreover, to raise the question of
security of the Murmansk railway
and Murmansk, which is our own
ice-free port in the west and is
therefore of extreme importance
for our foreign trade and for com-
munication between the Soviet
Union and other countries gen-
erally. We pursued no other object
in the peace treaty than that of
Safeguarding the security of Lenin-
grad, Murmansk and the Mur-
Mansk railway.

Independence Intact

“But we considered it necessary
to settle this problem reliably and
durably. The peace treaty is based
on the recognition of the principle
that Finland is an independent
state, recognition of independence
of her home and foreign policy,
and at the same time on the ne-
cessity of safeguarding the secur-
ity of Leningrad and the north-
western frontiers of the Soviet
Union.

“Thus the object we set out to
achieve has been achieved and we
may express our complete satis-
faction with the treaty of Finland.
Poliiteal and economic relations
with Finland are now fully re-
stored. Qur government expresses
the conviction that normal and
good neighborly relations will de-
velop between the Soviet Union
and Finland.”

Discussing Soviet: relations with
Sweden and Norway in the light
of the Soviet-Finnish peace, Molo-
tov stated:

“We must, however, utter warn-
ing against attempts to violate
the peace treaty just concluded
that are already being made by

certain circles in Finland as well
as in Sweden and Norway under
the pretext of forming a military
defensive alliance of these coun-
tries. In light of the speech re-
cently delivered by Hambro, pres-
ident of the Norwegian storting
(parliament), in which, referring
te historical examples he called
upon Finland ‘to reconquer fron-
tiers of their country’ and de
Clared that peace like the one
Finland had concluded with the
USSR ‘cannot last for long,’ in
light of this and similar utter-
ances it is easy to understand
that attempts from so-called ‘de-
fensive alliance’ of Finland, Swe-
den and Norway are directed
against USSR and are unwisely
fostered by ideology of military
revanche.

“Hormation of a military alliance
of this kind in which Finland par-
ticipated could only run counter to
article three of the peace treaty
which forbids either of contracting
Parties to join any coalitions hostile
to the other, but to the peace treaty
as a whole which frimly defined the
Soviet-Finnish frontier. Loyalty to

Warns Scandinavian
Countries Danger In

Anti-Soviet Alliance

this treaty is incompatible with
Finland’s participation in any mili-
tary revanche alliance against the
USSR.

“As to participation of Sweden
and Norway in such an alliance,
that would imply that these coun-
tries had abandoned their policy
of neutrality and had adopted a
new foreign policy from which the
Soviet Union could not but draw
the proper conclusions.

"Our government on its part
considers that the Soviet Union has
no points of dispute with Sweden
and Norway and that Soviet-Swed-
ish and Soviet-Norwegian relations
should develop on a basis of friend-
ship. As to rumors that the Soviet
Union is demanding ports on the
west coast of Scandinavia, claim-
ing Narvik, etc., these rumors are
spread for anti-Soviet purposes and
are so wild they need no refutation.
Efforts of ‘Socialist’ gentry like
Hoeglund in Sweden and Trammell
in Norway to spoil relations be-
tween these countries and the Sov-
iet Union should be branded as ef-
forts of sworn enemies of: the
working class who have been
bought by foreign capitalists and
are betraying the interests of their
own people.

“The conclusion of the peace
treaty with Finland consummates
the task we set ourselves last year

of safeguarding the security of the
Soviet Union in the direction of
the Baltic. This treaty is a neces-
sary complement to the three pacts
of mutual assistance concluded with
Esthonia, Latvia and Lithuania re-
spectively. Qur experience during
the six months that have elapsed
since these pacts of mutual assist-
ance were concluded enables us to
draw very definite conclusions con-
cerning these treaties with Baltic
countries, i
“Tt must be admitted that treaties
concluded by the Soviet Union with
Esthonia, Datvia and Lithuania
have served to strengthen the in-
ternational position both of the
Soviet Union and of Esthonia, Lat-
via and Lithuania. In spite of the
scare raised by imperialist circles
hostile to the Soviet Union, the
state and political independence
of Esthonia, Latvia and Lithuania
has not suffered in any way, while
economic intercourse between these
countries and the Soviet Union has
begun markedly to increase. The
pacts with Esthonia, Latvia and
Lithuania are being carried out in
2 satisfactory manner and this cre
ates premises for further improve—
ment in relations between the Sov-
iet Union and these countries.”
Turning his attention to Near
Eastern questions, the Soviet pre-
mier dealt mainly with Soviet-Ru-
manian relations. He said:

Aggressors Warned

“Recently, the foreign press has
been devoting extreme attention to
the relations between the Soviet
Union and neighbors on its south-
ern borders, particularly on the
Transcaucasian border, and with
Rumania. Needless to say, our gov-
ernment sees no ground for any de-
terioration of our relations with
our southern neighbors.

“Tt is true that in Syria and in the
Wear East, generally extensive and
suspicious activity is afoot in the
creation of Anglo-French mainly
colonial armies headed by General
Weygand. We must exercise vigi-
lance in regard to attempts to uti-
lize these colonial and non-colonial
troops for purposes hostile to the
Soviet Union.

“Any such attempt would evoke
on our part counter measures
against aggressors, and the dan-
ger of playing with fire in this
way must be perfectly obvious to
powers hostile to the USSR and
to those of our neighbors who
would become tools of this ag-
gressive policy against the USSR.

“As to our relations with Turkey
and Iran, they are determined by
our existing pacts on non-agegres-
Sion and by the unswerving desire
of the Soviet Union to observe the
mutual obligations arising out of
them. Our relations with Iran in
the economic sphere are regulated
by the Soviet-Iran trade treaty just
concluded.

“Of the southern neighboring
States I have mentioned, Rumania
is one with which we have no pact
of non-aggression. This is due to
the existence of an unsettled dis-
pute, the question of Bessarabia,
whose seizure by Rumania the So-
viet Union has never recognized,
although it has never raised the
question of recovering Bessarabla
by military means.

“Hence, there are no grounds for

any deterioration in Soviet-Ru-
manian relations. True, it is some
time since we have had a minister
in Rumania, and his duties are
being performed by a charge d’af-
faires. But this has been due to
specific circumstances of the recent
past If we are to deal with this
question we must recall the dubious
role played by Rumanian authori-
ties in 1938 in relation to Butenko,
who was then Soviet acting minis-
ter in Rumania.

“Tt is well known that in some
mysterious way, Butenko disap-
peared not only from the legation,
but from Rumania, and to this day
the Soviet government has been
unable to obtain any authentic in-
formation about his disappearance.
And what is more, we are expected
to believe that Rumanian authori-
ties had nothing to do with this
Scandalous and criminal affair.
Needless to say, things like this
should not happen in civilized
states, or in any well-ordered coun-
try for that matter.

“After this, the reason for delay
in appointing a Soyiet minister to
Rumania will be clear. It is to be
assumed, however, that Rumania
will understand that such things
are not to be tolerated.”

Soviet-Japanese relations also
came under review, Molotov ob-
Serving that while some questions
had been settled “not without some
difficulty,’ the Soviet Union could
not express great satisfaction over
relations.

“To this day, for example,” he
Said, “notwithstanding prolonged
negotiations between Soviet-Mon-
golian and Japanese-Manchurian
delegates, the important question
of determining the frontier line on
territory in the area of military
conflict last year, has remained
unsettled.

Soviet-US Relations

“Japanese authorities contmue
to raise obstacles to the normal
utilization of the last installment
for the Chinese Eastern railway
which Japan has paid. In many
eases the treatment of employes
of Soviet organizations in Japan
and Manchuria by Japanese au-
thorities is quite abnormal. It is
time it were realized in Japan
that under no circumstances will

the Soviet Union tolerate any

infringement on its interests.

Only if Soviet-Japanese relations
are understood in this way can
they develop satisfactorily.”

Finally, Molotov dealt with re-
lations between the Soviet Union
and the US, stating that “they have
not grown any better lately, nor
any worse for that matter, if we do
not count the so-called moral em-
bargo against the USSR, which is
perfectly meaningless especially
after conclusion of peace between
the USSR and Finland.

“Our imports from the USA have
increased as compared with last
year, and they might increase still
more if American authorities did
not put obstacles in the way.”

Declared the Soviet premier, con-
cluding his address:

“The conclusion that must be
drawn from this is that we must
maintain the position of neutral-
ity and refrain from participat-
ing in the war between the big
European powers. This position
is based on treaties we have con-
cluded, and it fully corresponds
te the interests of the Soviet
Union. At the same time, this
position serves as a restraining
influence in preventing the fur-
ther extension and instigation of
war in Europe. It is therefore in
the interests of all nations that
are anxious for peace and are
already groaning under new and
enormous burdens of privations
caused by the war.

“In summing up the events of this
past period, we see that as regards
safeguarding the security of our
country, we have achieved no mean
success. And it is this that makes
our enemies furious. However, con-
fident in our cause and in our

strength, we will continue consist-
ently and unswervingly to further
our foreign policy.”

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