| Show FINLAND STATUS ST A NEARS CRISIS By fly Wade Werner WASHINGTON WASHINGTON- April 24 The threat of ot a nazi coup In Finland Fin Fin- Jand land Inspired by Hitler's growing fears fear for tor his hi European fortress and designed to set up a per percent percent cent government was seen in diplomatic quarters here Saturday Saturday Sat Sat- as 83 one o of the factors behind Helsinki's newest crisis ubi And it was wu expected to force a final showdown in the little nations nation's nations nation's na na- na- na tion's lions strange war triangle Latest move In the longstanding stand long ing three crisis came Friday when most of ot the American American Amer Amer- AmerIcan ican legation staff suddenly left the Finnish capital and a strict censorship was promptly clamped on all aU political dispatches out of ot Finland There has tas been no ao American minister In Finland since H. H F. F Arthur Schoenfeld was recalled to Washington last lut December and the left behind in Helsinki only Charge Robert Mills and one clerk The state department described the move as administrative and declined to throw further light on it but the capital watched closely to see lee what bearing it might have on the question whether er Finland is to tie Up tip still more closely to Germany or attempt to separate herself from Hitler's war against Russia War of ot Nerves Nuns It was seen een in some quarters here and abroad as another American American Amerlean Amer Amer- ican lean move In a war of nerves aimed at prying Finland loose from her nazi nul associates Another view however was that mounting nazi nul pressure and the menace of ofa ofa a Inspired German coup called for tor- precautionary evacuation of allbut all allbut allbut but a skeleton legation staff It was wu r recalled c ll d that about Americana AmerIcans Amer Amer- diplomats and others fell feU i into German hands when the occupied all aU of France last November and the Vichy government government gov gov- broke relations with the United States StatU Looked at from the point of view rew of German str strategy Finland's Finland's Fin Fin- lands land's situation seemed an integral part Fart of ot the crisis facing Hitler's fortress of ot Europe Obviously on the fuehrer's mind in recent months has been the question of safeguarding his continental continental continental conti conti- stronghold from front allied in invasion In- In He has been looking to his bulwarks in all aU directions calling calling call- call ing into conference one by bv one ing into conference one by bv one the leaders of the satellite states whose territory lies between Germany Germany Germany Ger Ger- many and the poised invasion forces of ot the western allies alUe Limited Luxury So long as an allied invasion ef of the continent seemed only avery a avery very ery distant danger Hitler could afford to allow Finland the luxury of strictly limited participation in the war war joint joint military operations opera opera- operations with Germany against the soviet union but continued isolation Isolation isolation isola isola- tion from Germanys Germany's war against the United States Humoring Finland's Finland reluctance to sever all ties with her longstanding long long- longstanding standing friends across the seamay sea aea seamay may have ha seemed safe enough then t specially If It it insured more enthusiastic Finnish cooperation against Russia Now New however the threat of Invasion in invasion In- In is imminent Allied forces might strike at any point on the periphery of ot Europe might Europe might even strike from the north through Finland Hence the mounting German I pressure on Finland for tor an out all association with the axis and an I end to talk of withdrawal 1 from the conflict against Russia for the sake of salvaging relations with the United States War Var ar Weariness American pressure of ot course lisa has been in the opposite direction supported by the undoubted war weariness of the Finns and a quarter century of close and friendly relations with the United States But America is far away and Germany is terribly near German German German Ger Ger- man troops are garrisoned in Finland Finland Fin Fin- land and Finland looks look to Germany Germany Ger Ger- many for tor food For almost two years the little republic kiss has managed to wage war against Russia without cutting herself herselt completely off from the United States but States but now the end seems scents near |
