November 28, 1939; New Pressure on Finland

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1939:

Praise Crew Of

Rawalpindi For
Heroic Action

Hopeless Odds Faced

During Battle With
Deutschland, Says
Neville Chamberlain

London. — (UP)— British warships searched the fog-bound North Atlantic for the nazi sea raider Deutschland today as Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain praised the crew of the armed merchant cruiser Rawalpindi, for a brave but hopeless fight against the German pocket battleship.

Those men must have known as they sighted the enemy that there was no chance for them," the prime minister told the house of commons in reference to the battle in which the Rawalpindi was sunk with loss of probably 260 men off Iceland.

No Thought OF Surrender
"But they had no thought of surender. They fought at their guns until they could fight no more. Then many of them went to their death, they carried on the great traditions of the royal navy."
Chamberlain disclosed that most of the men were naval reservists and naval pensioners called up for the war.

 



Soviet Russia denounced today her non-aggression pact with

Finland and rejected the Finns' reply to a note charging that four

Russian soldiers had been shot while on duty along the border. The

Finns had claimed that the Russians had been killed by their own

shells. A new demand was made by Russia for the withdrawal

of Finnish troops from the border region.

Red Army

Ready For
Hostilities

Non-Aggression Pact

Is Thrown Overboard
As Russia Rejects
Reply To Demands

Moscow. — (UP) — Soviet Russia today denounced its non-aggression pact with Finland, rejected the Finnish explanation of an incident arising from alleged gun fire across the frontier and renewed demands that Finnish troops be withdrawn from the border.

Finland's attitude, P r e m i e r Viacheslav Molotoff charged, is evidence of "deep hostility against the Soviet Union, with a desire to bring the present crisis to a head."

Red army forces on the border previously had been ordered to return any fire from the Finnish sideand to "annihilate" those responsible.

Approach Showdown Rapidly
Molotoff's statement of the Russian position to Finnish Minister Baron Aano Koskinen appeared to be pushing the Finnish-Russian crisis rapidly toward a showdown. Russian messages from the Leningrad area opposite Finland indicated that the red army was prepared for action. Previously, the Soviet naval forces, centered off Leningrad, had been described as ready for any eventuality. Molotoff said that Russia denounces the pact because of Finland's anti-Soviet policy, which he said was Inconsistent with the treaty.

 International

At-A-Glance

(By the Associated Press)

Berlin. —
Germany announces British heavy cruiser of London class torpedoed and destroyed near Shetland Islands; German experts say British fleet cleared from North Atlantic.
London.—
King George declares sea lanes being kept open; Chamberlain announces British-French blockade of German exports to start December 4; British ships
land 105 German prisoners from captured vessels.
Helsinki. —
Russia denounces her non-aggression pact with Finland, latter's foreign office spokesman says.
Moscow.—
Soviet radio promises peace if Finland meets Russian terms.
Paris. —
France prepares for first wartime parliament Thursday.

 

 

 

 

Soviet Russia denounced today her non-aggression pact with

Finland and rejected the Finns' reply to a note charging that four

Russian soldiers had been shot while on duty along the border. The

Finns had claimed that the Russians had been killed by their own

shells. A new demand was made by Russia for the withdrawal

of Finnish troops from the border region.