Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 59, Number 280, Decatur, Adams County, 29 November 1961 — Page 12

PAGE FOUR-A

Finland Holds Special Place In U.S. Hearts

EDITOR’S NOTE: “Little Finlaad" holds a special place in the hearts of Americans. A whole generation remembers that when other and larger nations were stalling or welshing on their World War I debts to the United States. Finland paid a* on the barrelhead every year. And in 193* the Finns won the admiration and sympathy of the world when they resisted Russian aggression in the “winter war” they never had a chance of winning. In this dispatch. United Press International puts a mirror to the face of Finland. By A. E. PEDERSEN JR. United Press International HELSINKI <UPI) — For the past two weeks it’s been like old times in Helsinki. Trouble has been in the air, and in the bar at the old Kaemp Hotel the reporters who make international news their business were gathering again. Just as they did 22 years ago. Then it was the Russo-Finnish “winter war" that brought the out of town and overseas reporters to the Kaemp. This time it was just a sniff of trouble — no one being quite sure just how tough the trouble might prove to be. On Oct. 30, after 12 years of peace and progress in Finland, Soviet Russia suddenly in> a formal note demanded that Finland consult with the Kremlin, under terms of a 1948 “mutual friendship and assistance" pact between the two countries, on steps of joint defense. The U.S.S.R. was worried about growing Allied — spcifically NATO — strength in the north, and the Baltic region. The timing seemed odd. The president of Finland, Urho Kekkonen, was in Hawaii as part of an American visit. With him was his foreign minister, Ahti Karjalainen. Finns Worried The people of Finland, not unnaturally, were worried. Two things were apparent: —The Soviet Union’s concern over growing Allied military strength in Europe, a military buildup hastened by the Berlin crisis, with West Germany in a major role. —The Soviet Union's overt attempt to put pressure on the other Nordic countries — to make Norway and Denmark think twice about their roles in NATO planning, to instill in Sweden second thoughts about her real “neutrality." vi To the newcomers as well as the old familiars at the Kaemp Hotel, hardly changed from 1939 with its ancient reading room chairs and turn -of - the - century scenes hung on its dining room walls, it seemed plain enough what the Soviets were doing but not so plain what she wanted. “We will just have to wait and see,” one wise old diplomat counselled the curious men at the Kaemp. The situation inevitably brought memories of 1939, but there were differences. That time, Moscow demanded the right to take over and build bases on the Finnish Peninsula. The Finns said no and went to war. This time there was no talk of bases or territory. The Russians remained at least outwardly friendly in their approaches. Na Thought Os War And there was another, big, difference. The Finland of 1961 could not, would not, even entertain the idea of war as an alternative to maintenance of peaceful relations. In the atomic era, the science of war has passed Finland by. So the diplomatic back and forth began. On Oct. 31. while he continued his American tour. President Kekkonen sent Foreign Minister Karjalainen back to Helsinki. In Los Angeles, Kekkonen told newsmen that as he saw it the Russian note had introduced “ho new elements” in Finnish-So-viet relations. The Soviets still recognized Finland’s neutrality among the big powers. : President Kekkonen arrived home on schedule Noy. 3. Wryly, he remarked at the'airport, “Is the republic still standing?” It was, but Acting President Martti Miettunen, the prime minister, was happy to return the presidential reins to Kekkonen. Two days later, on Nov. 5, the president went on the radio to reassure his countrymen. The fears that Finland’s independence was threatened and that the Soviets would demand bases on Finnish soil were “entirely unjustified," Kekkonen said. On Nov. 6 Foreign Minister Karjalainen met Soviet Ambassador A. V. Zakharov, and the next day the government annouced Karjalaie was going to Moscow to talk there with Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko. They met Nov. 11. “You have only a minority government at home,” Gromyko told the Finn. “It could be toppled any day. Then what would happen to your neutral foreign policy?” Orders New Elections Karjalainen tried to reassure Gromyko that an parties in Fin-

land stood behind the neutrality policy and it would continue regardless of domestic political events, but Gromyko insisted that the Soviets needed assurances this was really so.

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On Nov. 14, President Kekkonen. in a move that rocked the country, announced he was ordering new elections for Feb. 4-5, 1962. The new elections would provide the assurances the Soviets wanted. "We were also trying to win time,” the president said later. The special election cal) put almost all . parties in a difficult position. Social Democrats, Liberals and Conservatives had hammered together an anti-Kekkonen coalition backing retired chancel-

THE DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT, DECATUR, INDIANA

lor of Justice Olavi Honka, and' all members of the coalition took pains to go on record as backing the current foreign policy. The anti-Kekkonen stand of the three parties was based purely on domestic issues. Then as Kekkonen went to Siberia to confer with Premier Nikita Khrushchev, a legislator recommended z that the president be re-elected/tor another six years through parliamentary vote to promote national unity at a critical time., 'Honka said the proposal

was worth studying, and on the day that Kekkonen saw Khrushchev the coalition candidate withdrew from the presidential campaign. Honka said he was taking the action “in the interests of the country." Apply New Pressures Honka’s withdrawal was preceded by new pressures on Finland by the Soviet Union. Russia announced on Nov. 16 that since sending the note on Oct. 30 the situation in northern Europe had “deteriorated.” The Soviets

asked Filand to send a delegation to Russia to talk about joint defense matters. On Nov. 22, early on a pleasant late autumn morning, President Kekkonen left for a meeting with Khrushchev. He had little room for maneuvering. He had gone on record as vowing to defend'Finnish neutrality until his last breath. He had also stated publicly that the Russians did not want bases in Finland, and were not seeking a change in the makeup of the governmet. Further, he

had — and this was not something to be taken lightly —>■ stated that he would resign if he could no longer see any chance of continuing his own policies. The two leaders met at the Siberian capital of Novosibirsk on Nov. 24. At a luncheon for the Finnish president that day Khrushchev said the Soviet Union no longer regards northern Europe as “an area of peace and tranquillity.” He said the Soviets wanted to curb what he called the West German revenge-seekers and

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 19C1

called on Finland to continue its neutrality. Finnish sources said the meeting was held in a spirit of “frankness, collaboration and sincere confidence.” Hard-Water Test Hard water makes soap cling to clothes In a sticky curd. Add Vi-teaspoon of powdered soap to a pint of warm water in a quart jar, and shake. If no suds form, or if the suds do not remain firm, then your water is hard.