Salt Lake Telegram | 1940-03-09 | Page 1 | Cession of Karelian Isthmus and Site for Naval Base Remain Principal Soviet Aims

Cession of Karelian Isthmus And Site for Naval Base Remain Principal Soviet Aims STOCKHOLM, March t (AP) Peace negotiation! between Russian and Finnish representatives were reported proceeding today at the Kremlin In Moscow, with a military arm Is tics contemplated con-templated before actual terms were to be considered.i.j... - -- - - itf k a.11ra ware T, U1M MM.- ymm-vm .11 " Ing ob ia Moscow came from Russian Rus-sian sources here. Finnish sources said aa armistice was the first order of business. Confronted with Russian demands de-mands transmitted by Swedea in , behalf of Moscow, rinland has balked at the Russian terms and declared tt would negotiate only if given Ironclad guarantees thst Finland would not be subjected to the fata of Cxecho-Slovakia, Trasssfar to Moseaw As result, Russian soerces said, the newest talks had been transferred trans-ferred from Stockholm to Moscow. Reliable Finnish sources Indicated Indi-cated that Finland demanded substantial sub-stantial Indication of Russian willingness will-ingness to talk peace terms remon-SDly remon-SDly and had relumed even an srml-' stice until such substantiation been given. It was not possible to Identify the personalities involved In the Moscow talks and both Finnish and Russian sources declined to comment on where peace talks ' might occur If an armistice could be arranged. But Finnish and Russian quarters Indicated thst a decision, either for negotlstidhs er continued war, would - be reached soon. Defease BJee Fmsna There were indications that as part of any peace agreement the . Nordie nations Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland might seek . to form a close-knit bloc for common com-mon defense, with Sweden, Norway Nor-way and Denmark guaranteeing Finland's future Independence. The situation hers was most , confused. Rumors of all aorta were circulated regarding peace efforts, and they were no sooner disposed of usually disproved than others took their places. It wss definitely established only that Sweden was acting as Intermediary Inter-mediary snd that tt was aot cer-' tain that this mediation would be . successful, though the alternative might be to bring open allied Intervention Inter-vention In Finland s behalf and to . endanger the neutrality of ScaodV aavla. , - Deals Witt fTnlinl At least Russia was deaHng, tf -not yet directly, with the Finnish government, which It had Bet recognized rec-ognized aa existing since the start -of the war. Nothing had beea , heard of the puppet "people's government" gov-ernment" of Finland which Russia had act up under Otto Kuiistnen, emigre Finnish communist The newspaper Degens Nyheter " reported. Incidentally, that "the soviet union has not beea willing te accept Germany aa peace mediator." media-tor." This report was nnezplained and unconfirmed. Latest reports here were that , the Russian peace terms were specific spe-cific only on two points: 1. Cession by Finland of at . least a part of the Karelian Isthmus, Isth-mus, "to guarantee the security of Leningrad." 2. - Cession of some point on- ' specified near the mouth of the gulf of Finland, te serve as a Run- sian naval base. It was said that both points were flexible and that the position and amount of territory might be free- . ly decided In negotiation.