How long can Finland stay on the tightrope?
HELSINKI Suddenly Kruschev switches his war of nerves to the North. Proud but vulnerable little Finland faces growing pressure to join the Russian bloc. Here a Foreign Desk reporter assesses the mood, the tensions and the fears of the notion which made its balancing act between East and West "o way of life."
I HAVE just been standing on a spray-swept quay
here gazing out over the grey Baltic sea in the direction of Soviet Russia. For just 50 miles of cold, billowy sea separates this distant European capital from Communist Estonia, now a part of the U.S.S.R.
For 15 years the Finns have been doing a remark- able tightrope act, living beside the Russian bear, constant through Only determination, wiliness, and SVING Russian toleration have they managed to keep their independence,
tep
tion.
by BRIAN GARDNER
THE CHINA MAIL, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1961.
PRESIDENT URHO KEKKONEN.......
"Kruschev is known to have the highest respect for his skill."
between tse country across the 50 miles of
sea. would
now
It is more than likely that all The similarity
then and three lie behind the Soviet Note, crisis but if Kruschey is banking on frighten шкалу nations. Bul he last one, then I believe he not the Finns. Life in this pros- making a ve miscalcula- perous cily, with its exception- elly high standard of living. goes on as normal. I have found the Communist Party found no sign of pani, no sign How long can they keep it HQ in a side street near the
of despair. harbour in a bleak office, high above the street, I met one of Only thoughtful concern for the leading back-room Com- what Kekkonen and Finnish munists in Finland, a man called policy can do now to preserve J'amminen.
He immediately this land from the fate of that
if
'There The people hers now whe are wondering tan avoid much longer becoming ather Estonia.
revealed in discussing the Note and his fears about Germany. how he takes his line directly from Moscow,
ww Soviet Note culling for Hassian-Finnish security lks against the threat" from Wet Germany has put the Finns in their most difficult position for
50 seats the People's many years. I They agree to Democratic Union (which is the the lafks then they are ilkely to official name for the Communist have pressure pul of them to Party here) is already the join the Warsaw Pact That largest single
party in Parlia- would be a fatal step towards teht. But its chances of gain- overall
Ruslan dunimation, and this country's neutralism
DECISION
end
and the necessary majority of 101 in the election. are next to hopeless.
الله
And even Tarpminen had admit: "Not all those who vote for the Peoples Democrats are real Communists.
There is a story here about
they reply that they se threat from Gerty, at shal therefore ther is POLD holding the toke they will be radishes
-
that the
ht 1 ןן!
Finnish Communists being like Red outside and white inside. It means
munists second.
Twice in the past has Finland
Lought
old
To the Finns their brave balancing act, so much admired in the West, is a walk that has no foreseeable end. It is 5 matter of continuing to balance, or falling into the abyss.
As I was told: "To us it is not just politics or even of just somehow trying to get on with the Russians.
"It has become a way of life.”
London Express Service).
NO ENTRY
"The Commonwealth can be an example to other nations."
SAIL WITH THE
THE VOYAGE began at King- ston, Jamaica. On board the liner Ascania: the latest group of West Indian migrants sail ing to Britain. Also on board: woman reporter Anne Sharp-
that
became
trouble
tweaking the nose Kruschey they are Finns Arst and Com-
Finus have "1911216 carešully avoided doing pust.
Finland has tried to be friend. ly with both We 1.
All The Governments here since the war have in inled the neutrality is the only hope For Finland's independence. They are immensely and rightly Russian proud
This
22 years Russia. For their Russia and the Many Finns died
cily itself Country. was badly bombed by Russian planes. And nearly always in the past wars and crises with Russia have, as now. come from
Notes of mutual
I that they have succeeded. fence. When i was here last, I was told many lines that Finland could teach the West a lot about
how to live peacefully with Rus
SIG Now Jey are going to
PROSPEROUS
de-
ANNE BHARPLEY
certain
was
the
—MR, MACMILLAN, ADDRESSING THE COMMONWEALTHTM PARLIAMENTARY CONFERENCE ON SEPTEMBER DE
London, Express Service.
MIGRANTS
ley, investigating the immi- grant story from its sunny beginning to where it ends at the dockside at Southampton. She continues her report from mid-Atlantic.
The that
well-organised Bingo Federal Government had some- sessions and the film shows (not how been
the translated in coming. a triumph these, one film was minda of those Jamaicans I Perhaps the heat, the shown three times and once spoke to into terms of direct
we were given and
On the Water support of every man, woman monotony
front with a Spanish sound- and child in the Federation. And knowledge that so many track without subtitles) did it small islanders were seen
tle to abate the growing tension. abstracting 43 per cent of a be people could not
Jamaican's income from his very pocket.
confined so close for so. Teams picked
long without trouble.
Arguments over dice and poker would crackle out - but would always stop short before spreading
The teams were picked Cit was to be fight between Jamaica (318 on board) and the
It
42
The finer points of Federalism are not easy to explain to man afraid of hunger, and that "small islands" (Trinidad, Bar- night the fear exploded. White
began
with a quarrel in- bados, St Kitts, Montserrat and have to prove that boast to the Stalin and Molotov, that Russia
Antigua (total of 277). The volving
British girl from rum, which issue was last month's referen- Gulana (although it was per- will make the should share in Finnish defence
have been dum in which Jamaica had kick- sistently said that she was from --because
threat from ston--and we were exhausted on the first two ed out the Federation of the Barbados--one of Finland's answer to the Russian Nole is Germany. The Finns could not an ominous ship. It is days out, reappeared from
agree to all the demands-and
hi
The man who final decision on
In 1939 it was a demand, by
the
G1-year-old President Urho war was the result
Kekkonen,
a brilliant luwyer
and wollticlan, who has devoted much of his life as politician, Minister and President to studying the
moods of Russia.
Krushev is known to have the highest respect for his skill, and they have had many a vodka and sauna bath together.
Kekkonen has just returned from a visit to Ainerics, where no doubt, he was offered advice.
An enormous responsibility now rests with this man.
OPPONENTS
Foreign
Office
Talking to officials here I have the im- pression that Finland will play
for me.
The Finns will agree to some form of preliminary consulta-
tions, and they wil bulk for as
long as they can in the hope of finding out what really les behind the Russian Note, with- out committing themselves.
But Kekronen has political opponents who believe he has his obsession gone too far in with neutrality. They are con- vinced he should turn down the Russian suggestion.
exiletly
stan Note, But theories abound,
ST IX days out of King- (overproof)
seemed
to
difficult to say how it the migrants' luggage.
Australian newsletter
West Indies.
Jamaica's share (43 per cent -£820,000) of the cost of the
BY EMH
Country in the world's
spotlight
Lord and Lady Alexander of Tunis arrived in
Sydney this week and were met by their
daughter Lady Rose Crossman who had come from Singapore.
hit each other
Thrown
Donald Campbell on Sydney Harbour before the crashi
Field Marshal Earl Alexan- der of Tunis was Supreme the speed bost Allied Commander in the with flying spray and splintering
of woodwork, Mediterranean during World
florists have taken it up in a bla War II and he is on his way No one is certain
way, and this week a trial ship- ment was flown from Sydney to what does lie behind the Rus- New Zealand to officiate
test the market. at the opening of the new
Three men, two of them Presa
One wholesale
florist, IT COULD BE that the Note aluminium plant near Auck- photographers, were in the boat was really almed at Sweden, land.
with Mr Schmid, the crew mem- Arthur Robbins, said of the. who are supplying arms
ber was thrown into the water, flower, "We see it, but we don't West Germany. Kruschey may people who believed
He said he was one of those and, unable to board the boat believe it, it's such an unusual hope that by showing his fist in
that the again, swam ashore. Three feet looking bloom and such a size." the Scandinavian area he will existence of atomic weapons is of the plywood hull was ripped He went on to say that no one
one of the reasons why there out of the speedboat. frighten, the Swedes and end
has not been a war. their arms exports.
Mr Campbell is still undecid-
chery
to
and
un
iri his office goes near the flower on his desks, it might bite."
He plans to promote the
He said that "as a growing ed whether to use Lake Eyre for flower there and sell it first to IT COULD BE that Krus-
his fears of West country, Australia has the spot an attempt on the land speed hotels and banks where t using
light of
of the world
It" and that record. The main obstacles are go on dimlay and be thought German rearmament as all his own brokers had advised 224 patches of salt on the 19 the charge would be 8/8 a bloom excuse, will demand from the him to invest in Australia." mile stretch of the lake beds to cover the cost of air freight. Finns the return of the naval Lord Alexander with his wife which he plans to use, and some The Walalah, large deep red... base at Porkkala, 16 miles from ama daughter were the guests of of these are nearly a foot high close petal flower can keep for Helsinki, that it took from the the Governor General Lord De Finns
during the war
several weeks if cared for. L'Isis and Lady De Isle in occupied until 1950.
Canberra, for three days.
40 tons OR IT COULD BE that Kruschev intends to build up pressure on Finland before the elections here, not July. By starting on a war of nerves he may well hope to frighten many people lato voting Commumist. And then, énearer the time the elections, or just after thein, the Commbundsid fany attempty a
HIS FEARS
of
C-R-A-S-H
Donald Campbell, holder at the world water spoed te
He has already had built a special machine which can cut 'back' the salt islands, and if the decision is made to build the pood track on Lake Eyre, he will return to Australli in April,
A'strange mission to his homeland. All the mem- bers of the family of Mr
“cold” was demonstrating bringing his rating car Blue Felico Simone Bre in Aut-
jat powered bout at Rose 40 tons of equipment, and 31 Bay at the weekend when technicians. See plature.
vith a terrific crush he kit
ven by Mr.
builders
FLORAL
EMBLEM
tralia, but Mr Simone had only one regret and that was that blu father, the last ren
of hir
died 27 yours
Anwar meine Hé aporbaghed a church. Wales has sudden-thorities for help but was ag United States he would have to rank HL
GUNMAN
While 40 pupils and teachers were saying morn ing prayers in the Chapel of Sydney Church of Eng- Girls Grammar School, of Moss Valen 31-year-olid Bydney artist suddenly appeared will a Baving and shouting Pat! the iterrified girl, "ha Mice Turnbull, the bead threatened to shoot.
mistress, and other teachers grappled with the rin, the teacher whe and another had been outside the bullally called the police. **Aa he saw the police sp- prosch, he begin firing the tifle. One girl of 15 was killed instantly,
and the head mistrem suffered. wounds to both haida @POLES DELrpowered; the man, and ke wae - taken
italian
the
the
islands").
the "small A boy from Jamaica got his hand slashed by a razor blade during this quarrel and now the reprisals started.
Down in the recreation hall the
"bully-gully" (something
I can only describe as a
dance) started.
A group of
men clapping and shout-
ing, surround ed two от three solo dancers, ur- ging them on as their danc- ing became more furi- ous,
more frightening.
Chongo.
smooth, live-
tongued
men of SB
war
The
night the
knives
came out..
THE ASCANJA
who I had always thought was Jamaicans, But mother
was
PART IV
"Fight.fight, fight,
Everybody want to Fight, fight, Aght,
Don't break a chair over me I'm not a small islamier.......
I'm from B.G.
A ship's officer, in - Broken English, fried to shout for cali.
"He cant speak English" the Jamaican, nearby derided
The ship's officer angry and rashly replied; · "I am- Italien, You are Jamaican There is a very beeg difference, •rother- ber." (Lively In the crew's mind was the memory that one of their number was knocked unconscious on the brebious voyage.)
A knife was taken from a Jamaican and be showed a cut on his wist and crled: "Ldök, black man's blood, you spill-as much as you like i
The threats
Daming Denys rushed into the bar, threw a glass and, an ashtray and shouted: "Tha white people is beating up the black people
Threats we
were treat but gradually people drifted to bed, Four men spent the me the ship's "Calaboose The third purser next day tugiced a plece of timber unde
desk reatly for anyt
But that day a change camo over the sky and Gen. It grew cold Seasickness began. The quarrels that belonged to heme died with the warmth that be- longed to hornie,
Asense
of the strange world that awaited them calmed and chilled the migrants,
the urbanest man on board, bes not so lucky and was beaten, TOMORROW
came
the most possessed. As he cisims.
he broke from the circle he took In the
Recreational Hall
profes-
mé as his audience and began to Patrick Jackman, the shout in a paroxysm, his eyes sional stowaway from British quite blank. These little dunce Guiana, was challenged. He breadfruit
niggerstr
(he meant broke at once Into a calypso: the small islanders), "I voted for Federation, but since I come. on this ship Been what bare foot niggers them be. When us said no to Federation. I so hurted I couldn't eat for a day,
"But now them's so insulted
| me...all from these little islands, St. Kitts, Montserrat, Antigua them's so small that if you started running on them and develop speed you'd tand up, in *the sea.
The
London Elep
RUSTLERS STILL ROAM
AROUND TEXAS
HOUSTON, Texe
"They're going to a dream in They are still having
London, they don't know what
they're going to but when they trouble with rustlers ask them in London where
Uper comes from, these yam in the Texas cattle and breadfrunt little niggers country.
them's got to say Jamaica, com nobody heard of dem islands.""
Challenged
women sevens
out and
In fact, there has been more cattle rustling during the past
Posses hunt.
deep-freeze
beef thieves
few years than during the seized with the urge legendary days of the Old West stars One-ins In 1980 more "beeves were that approximatel
In the of the cattle
ded up
history of Texas. THE the old TEAMs and Sorithe Cate Wertern. Cattle Raisers Asso-then- ciation, which was first founded rustlets, în 1800, is still on the job of patty or pending but “posre catch divide the
the bartlaws.
Had basi
Ard
3