January 21, 1940; MAJOR BATTLE DEVELOPS IN WINTER WAR:

TIS WAS REPORTEDT TODAY, JANUARY 21, 1940:

MAJOR BATTLE

DEVELOPS IN
WINTER WAR'

Finland Army Moves

To Divide Red
Forces

WITH FINNISH ARMIES, on Salla Front, Jan. 20.—(U.P.)—Russian troops defended a strong outpost line at Lake Marka today but Finnish troops were steadily increasing pressure on their right flank in an effort to score a complete victory on the vital Salla sector of the north central front.

For the moment, the battle of Salla appeared to have slackened somewhat after a week of severe fighting during which the Red army forces fell back 30 miles from Lake Joutsi to Lake Marka and sought to consolidate their positions in defense of the village of Salla, which is now the key point of the conflict.

Press on Steadly
There still was strong patrol action and the Finnish troops were pressing steadily against the Russian right flank both to prevent the Soviet forces from joining Red army units at Kuusamo, to the south, and to break up any attempts to start a new Russian offensive toward Kemijaervi.

ICY WEATHER

SPREADS OVER
MOST OF U.S.

72 Deaths Attributed

To Severe Drop in
Temperature

By United Press

Wintery blasts blew the length and breadth of the nation Saturday night, invading the southernmost reaches of Dixieland as well as imposing sub-normal temperatures upon frozen northern regions.
Only the Pacific seaboard escaped the Arctic influence.

No relief was in Sight from the cold wave which swept across the Canadian border a week ago tonight in the wake of a blizzard.

Crops Endangered
The cold wave took a heavy toll of life and property. It was blamed for deaths from fire, fumes and freezing. In addition

Temperatures in Reno yesterday averaged equal with normal, as the cold spell seemed to have broken, according to weather bureau figures. The high was 43 degrees and the low was 22 degrees. The mean and normal temperatures was 32 degrees.. .Cloudy weather it expected to prevail today, with snows scheduled for this vicinity Monday.

 to the property loss in fires, the freezing temperatures in the extreme south threatened citrus fruits and garden crops in Florida and the Rio Grande valley.