DECEMBER 2, 1939; FINNS AND SOVIETS SIGN A MUTUAL TREATY:

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, DECEMBER 2, 1939

APPLY A MORAL

EMBARGO ON THE
SALE OF PLANES

President May Find Way Of Preventing

Sale Of Planes To Russia.

By HOBART C. MONTEE

United Press Staff Correspondent
Washington, Dec. 2.—(UP) — The white house said today President Roosevelt may issue an important pronouncement on U. S. foreign policy today, and may clear up questions about applying a "moral embargo" on sale of American planes to Russia. White House Secretary Stephen T. Early said the statement probably would follow a morning-long conference between Mr. Roosevelt and Secretary of State Cordell Hull.

Early also indicated white house displeasure at the statements of Soviet Foreign Commissar V. M. Molotov in response to Mr. Roosevelt's appeal that Finland and Russia refrain from bombarding civilians in cities.

 

RUSSIAN RENEW

AIR RAIDS ON
FINNISH TOWNS

Several Points Were Bombed

Details Are Lacking

(By United Press) Finland today withdrew troops fighting on the Karelian north of Leningrad toward Mannerheim line of defenses in a strategic operation following military plans prepared in advance of the Soviet invasion.

The withdrawal from five boarder villages, Finns said, occurred  while Russians fighting on two  sides of Lake Ladoga were suffering heavy losses and failing  to make headway against Finnish defenses.

The Finns were reported in dispatches abroad to have retaken the Arctic port of Petsamo from the Russians and they announced that in the first three days of the war they had shot down 19 Soviet planes.

The Finns announced also that they believed they had sunk the  crack 8,500-ton Soviet cruiser Kirov, which had a normal complement of 624 men, in fighting off Hanko island yesterday.

SAYS FINLAND

ADMIRES U..S,
New Premier Has Hopes Of A
Diplomatic Settlement
With Russia.

Helsinki (Helsingfors) Dec.-.2.—(UP)—(By Telephone to New York)—Risto Ryti, new premier of Finland, hopes to reach a diplomatic settlement with Russia despite its recognition of a communist "Finnish government," he told the United Press today. It was 7:30 a. m. as he spoke and dawn was breaking through the windows of his office. He had just come from a meeting of his cabinet which had lasted throughout the night.-"I have just heard that Russia has given full diplomatic recognition to the government organized by communist supporters at Taricki," he said. "Despite this we still are hopeful that we can reach a settlement with the U. S. S. R. by negotiations. We do not consider the diplomatic outlook hopeless.

"We (he and his cabinet) discussed the possibility of negotiations and we agreed that if a settlement cannot be reached by negotiations we will fight on. "Tell the American people we will not surrender.

"The Finnish people will fight to the last. 

 E.T’.s note; The Russian (Red) Steam Roller is depicted here as evil, watch for future depictions of the Russian Steam Roller. Finland was one of the few countries that repaid their World War 1 war debt to the U. S.)

SOVIETS AND

FINNS SIGN A
MUTUAL TREATY

Russia Agrees to Buy Some Islands

From the Finnish
Revolutionary Government.

Moscow, Dec. 2.—(UP)—The Soviet Union and the Finnish democratic republic today signed a mutual assistance treaty under which the revolutionary government established yesterday on the Karelian frontier agreed to cede the Island of Hango and adjacent territory to Russia for military and naval bases, the Moscow radio reported tonight.

The pact provides that in return for payment by Russia, Finland will yield eight other islands in the Gulf of Finland and the Ribachi and Sredni penninsulas in the north.

Finland will receive a portion of Karelia, now inhabited by Finns, and the revolutionary republic will move its frontier westward from the direction of Leningrad.

 

Finns Sink A

Soviet Warship

Stockholm, Dec. 2.—(UP)—The Swedish newspaper Aftenbladet said today that the modern, 8,500- ton soviet warship Kirov sank after suffering heavy damage from Finnish coastal batteries.

The Kirov, Aftenbladet said, was struck toy shells from Finnish batteries on the Island of Hanko (Hango). The damaged ship was reported to have sunk while under the convoy of two other Russian ships.

The Kirov, built in 1936, had a normal complement of 624 men. It was armed with six 7.1 inch guns, four 4-inch anti-aircraft guns, three 37 mm. anti-aircraft guns and four machine guns.