January 28, 1940; RUSSIAN TROOPS LAUNCH NEW OFFENSIVE:

THIS WAS REPORTEDTODAY, JANUARY 28, 1940:

 

 

 

Cold and Hunger

Helping Finns

Fight Reds

DRIVE ON FLANK

1000 Die as 40,000

Russ Retreat

In Arctic

HELSINKI, Jan. 27.—(INS)—Russian troops launched a new and furious offensive north of Lake Ladoga today In a desperate effort to save a force estimated at between three and four divisions caught in a Finnish trap at Kitelac. Hoping to divert Finnish troops in an attack from the north, the Russians faced a triple threat of cold, hunger and the murderous cross-fire of ghostly Finnish ski patrols in their effort to free their entrapped comrades.

Record low temperatures of nearly 10 degrees below zero combined with the Finnish fire to take a terrible toll of the trapped divisions, according to advices from the front, and made the task of rescue immeasurably more difficult.

AIMED AT FLANK.

Apparently, the new offensive was aimed at turning the northern flank of the Finnish army and threatening the vital Finnish Mannerhelm line from the rear. Helsinki military circles admitted this new attack, if successful, would free the majority of the trapped Russians. These troops were suffering heavily.

Finnish sources claimed. Some detachments were wiped out completely. Latest reports Indicated the Finnish lines cutting off the Russian retreat were holding firmly.

Russian bombers resumed attacks in northern Finland today as the weather cleared. A total of 140 bombs were reported dropped in eight unrevealcd localities with one woman killed and three wounded.

RED PLANES DOWNED.

Three Russian planes were shot down, the Finns claim. Helsinki heard that a Russian submarine was destroyed when she struck a mine near the Aaland islands, separating the Baltic and the Gulf of Bothnia.

Altogether more than 60,000 Russian troops are engaged in the largest offensive of the war.

 

War at a Glance

By International News Service.

HELSINKI—

Russia launches furious flanking movement north of Lake Ladoga in effort to extricate three of four Red divisions trapped by Finnish ski

troops; 40,000 Russians continue retreat in Arctic, leaving 1000 dead.

LONDON—

New U-boat campaign feared; U-boat which sunk two neutral ships Friday hunted off Britain's northeast coast.

TOKYO—

Japanese army electrifies barrier around Anglo-French concession at Tientsin; special cabinet meeting called Sunday to consider Anglo-Japanese crisis and expired U. S. trade treaty.

WASHINGTON—

Members of senate foreign relations committee counsel caution in imposing Jap embargo.

PARIS—

Western front quiet.

BERLIN—

Nazis draft polite reply to Pan-American protests against infringement of western hemisphere neutrality; high officials boast of sea warfare

success.

MANCHESTER—

Cries for Oswald Moseley, British Fascist leader, interrupt speech of Winston Churchill.

BALTIMORE—

The City of Flint, once-captured by Germans, arrives in Baltimore harbor

 

Plight of Baltic

Countries Told

Sympathetic toward Finland but occupied by Russian soldiers, the little Baltic republic of Lithuania has a future shrouded with uncertainty.

Plight of the Baltic countries Saturday had been explained by Dr. Kazys Pakstas, professor of geography at the University of Vytauas The- Great in Lithuania.

Russia has appointed herself protector of Lithuania and has garrisoned 20,000 soldiers in four strategic, places in the country, Dr. Pakstas said.

Maintaining a degree of independence in domestic affairs, the Lithuanian government must approve anything asked by the Reds prevent its overthrow by Russian troops.

'Officially our sympathies are with democracy, but we can't express our sympathy in Europe," Dr. Pakstas remarked in telling of Russian censorship In Baltic countries.

QUESTION.

"We can't tell whether 20,000 Russians are stationed in Lithuania or whether 3,000,000 Lithuanians are living in a Russian country," he said. The country is not located so that it can be used as a war base for the campaign against Finland, but may be required to help the Red army if any nation tries to attack Russia through Lithuania.

The Baltic country of Esthonia is now being used as a base for Russian air raids on Finland, the professor pointed out.

Although Estonians and Finns are of the same- origin, Estonia is now being used as a base for Russian air raids on Finland, the professor pointed, out. Protesting he was not a prophet. Dr. Pakstas made three predictions as to Lithuania's fate. If Russia and Germany win the war, small Baltic states will probably lose their independence, ho said. Another possible result of Russo-German victory is that Lithuania may be permitted to remain independent under a Russian protectorate, with Red troops garrisoned in the country.

IF ALLIES WIN.

A victory for the Allies would probably restore pre-war conditions. Dr Pakstas believes. Memel, taken from Lithuania last June, would be restored,

Russian troops evacuated and the republic would maintain its democratic government.