Newspaper Page Text
Finnish Peace Seen «t* German Preparation For Offensive Nazis Believed Anxious To Assure Continuous Flow of Red Supplies Mr. White flew from. London to Amsterdam especially to avoid censorship difficulties and to get this article to America. It repre sents what he has observed in Europe, and especially in Fin land, since the outset of the war. By WILLIAM L. WHITE. AMSTERDAM.—The peace be I tween Finland and Russia means Ithftt Germany is getting ready for f her spring offensive. The Nazis know the smashing power of this offensive would have been crippled If the Finnish war had been allowed to drag on. Germany hopes, this spring and summer, to get large sup plies from Russia. But this was im possible with Russia involved in •fflnland. A neutral observer from Moscow reports that the Finnish efforts al ready have badly disorganized the Russian system of transport and production. There are queues and shortages even in the Russian cap ital and the situation in Leningrad Is worse. Red Victory German Defeat. Germany knows, of course, that Russia, without either foreign inter ference or help, could probably have broken Finnish resistance and oc cupied the country by mid-summer. But the effort of doing this would have strained her seriously and left her in no position to spare or to de liver supplies to Germany. This is the principal reason why the Nazis wanted peace in Finland. But a complete Russian victory jpould have been a defeat for Ger many. Such a victory would not only have left Russia badly strained .and unable to help Germany this spring and summer; it also would have put Russian armies on the border of what is now the frontier between Sweden and Finland within "easy striking distance of those rich Swedish iron mines which are vital ^o Germany as the source of her best steel and in equally close reach of the coveted Norwegian port of Narvik. Controlling both of these, 'Russia would be established as an Atlantic power, with Germany's steel supply at her mercy. Con • trolling the southern coast of Fin land, Russia also could threaten the 'Prussian coast. So for the distant future, as well as the immediate present, Germany had every reason for wanting to stop the war in Finland. Quick Blow at Reich Favored. There is in England, which I have Just left, a school of thought which believes that time is not necessarily on the side of the allies—that in the present war of waiting, Germany is inflicting dangerously heavy damage on English shipping at small cost to herself. This school favors a quick blow at Germany while Eng land has a merchant marine capable of sustaining such efforts. Sweden’s position is that she did hot want the Russians to overrun Finland and arrive on her unpro tected and almost Indefensible northern frontier. But neither did she want to risk having her own cities the battle grounds for a major •world war by allowing allied aid to Finland to pass through her terri tory over German protests. Sweden could have herself de clared war on Russia and sent to Finland 300,000 men out of a total army of 450,000. These, plus the 300,000 Finns, plus the great de fensive advantages of the Finnish terrain, could have held the Rus sians out of Finland indefinitely. But Sweden was frightened away from such a course by Germany who, through both her diplomatic chan nels and via the radio, has been bullying the Swedes with politely veiled threats. That they should remember their country is poor and weak, in spite of their sympathy for Finland they must remain realistic, remembering what might happen to Sweden if she abandoned her neu trality. Sweden Threatened. By putting pressure on Russia, Sweden and Finland for an im mediate peace of this sort Germany may have extricated herself from a very dangerous situation. While for the past two months Germany has been bullying Sweden with threats as to what might happen to her if She were to abandon her traditional neutrality to give effective aid to the Finns, the Nazis were in no position to back up these threats. They could, of course, easily invade Denmark, but when they attempted to cross the straits to Sweden that would have been another matter. The Swedish coast artillery, all military authorities agree, is the best In the world. It also goes without saying that the minute Germany makes a move against Sweden the British and French would instantly move in to help the Swedes, and this would make any German at tempts to land on the coast of Sweden as costly as the Gallipoli disaster was to the British in the last World War. Furthermore, once the British and the French were installed in Sweden their bombing planes are only a few hours from Berlin and •the other big industrial and rail renters of North Germany, hitherto protected from serious air bombing by their distance from any allied flying field. In addition the coast iof East Prussia is very badly de E'*”ded, for heretofore the only er which might have menaced it Russia, which had no navy of Vny consequence, and the coastal fortifications of East Prussia were tacaled accordingly. A landing on this coast for the British and French once they were firmly based In Scandinavia is not unthinkable. Scandinavia Harnessed. If, as now seems probable, the Germans want to fight this spring, they have every reason for wanting to avoid Scandinavia as a battle ground, for here they have every thing to lose, nothing to gain. They are already receiving from Scandi navia more food and raw material than they could hope to gain by conquest. If and when that drive comes this spring, it may be through Holland and Belgium, aimed directly at Eng land (they could never knock out England by taking Scandinavia) or more probably in the Balkans where •very foot of ground captured would mean more oil and grain for Ger many. If the drive is in the TUUtann either through German initiative or because she must meet an allied WILL WED ENVOY—Miss Margaret Shaw of York, Eng land, niece of the Dowager Countess of Linsay, whose engagement to Hjalmar Pro cope, Finnish Minister to the United States, was announced Friday. —A. P. Photo. attack there, Russia would most cer tainly be involved, as German in terests are identical with hers. This is why all the real pressure behind the scenes for peace with Finland came from Berlin. Of course, it has been given an elabo rate stage-setting in which Sweden apparently took the initiative, but Berlin knows—and London and Paris guess—that Nazi pressure on Stockholm and Moscow has made this peace possible. Swedes’ Resistance Collapses. Swedish diplomatic resistance seems to have collapsed. A Swedish foreign office spokesman recently announced his country was con vinced that “Germany will march into southern Sweden and bomt) Swedish strategic cities the moment a British expeditionary force sets foot in Sweden and British aid would, for technical reasons, be sev eral months too late and Germany could overrun our southern prov inces in a few days.” This is an over-statement, but that it can frighten the Swedish foreign office does not augur that these things would have happened if Sweden herself had come actively to the aid of the Finns. In either case, however, Sweden could ad mittedly run some risk of becom ing, as the foreign office candidly says, “the world powers’ battle ground.” And this Sweden is un derstandably anxious to avoid, par ticularly If it can be avoided, through territorial concessions made by the Finns—not by the Swedes. But again it is clear that Sweden is only the instrument and Ger many the original sources of the pressure which was brought to bear in the north to end this dangerous Finnish war. So peace is a German victory, leaving the Nazis free to strike hard this spring under more auspicious threats. But the scope of this dip lomatic victory should not be exag gerated, for although it knocks the shadow of war from Scandinavia it will recover only a small part of that prestige and confidence which Germany lost when, by signing a pact which gave Russia free hand in the Baltic she made the Russian at tack on Finland possible. Charles A. Stewart P.-T. A. Miss Margaret Seaver, director of religious education in the Arlington County schools, will speak at a meeting of the Charles A. Stewart School Parent-Teacher Association at 8 p.m. Tuesday at the school in East Falls Church, Va. Citizens to Elect Officers will be elected at a meet ing of the Leeway Citizens’ Associa tion at 8 p.m. Wednesday in the Robert E. Lee School on Lee high way, Arlington, Va. Peace Rally Called On Eve of World War Anniversary Local Gathering Planned as Part of National Demonstration A call for “all organizations de siring to stay out of war” to partici pate in a peace rally on April S, the eve of the anniversary of America’s entry into the World War, was made yesterday by a joint committee rep resenting trade unions, youth or ganizations, colored groups and va rious welfare organizations. The committee has planned the rally in conjunction with Nation wide “Keep-America-Out-of-War” demonstrations centering around April 6. The rally will be held in the National Press Club auditorium. The call, issued by the Joint com mittee, said: "We, the undersigned, believe that if the people of Washington, to gether with the people throughout the Nation, publicly foregather and voice a firm and vigorous demand for peace and for concentration on the serious problems which face us at home, such a demand cannot fail to be heard throughout the world. "We therefore propose that the people of Washington meet on April 5, 1940, at the National Press Club auditorium—that on the eve of the anniversary of a declaration of war, we may make a declaration of peace.” Signers of the appeal included representatives of the Hotel and Restaurant Employes, Local 675; United Construction Workers, Local 30; New Negro Alliance, National Negro Congress, American Com munications Association; Descend ants of the American Revolution, Washington Youth Council. Wash ington Branch of the National Negro Congress, Washington Hous ing Association, Labor’s Non-Par tisan League, Women’s Trade Union League, United Federal Workers, Local 6; National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peo ple, United Cafeteria Workers, Local 471: Washington Industrial Union Council. Women's Auxiliary of the United Transportation Service Em ployes. United Office and Profes sional Workers. Local 27, and United Shoe Workers, Local 136. Civil defense services in the County of London from the begin ning of the war until March 31 next wil lcost 630.000,000. 9i'i Umt iff ckanye ycxcv uicticlv Begin this new season with the will to be up to date In every thing you do and wear. Start with your watch. Isn't it time you had a new one? Choose this lady’s 15-J. Elgin at *24.75. Pay only 50c a week. r | Look for the Gold Clock CHAS. SCHWMTZ & SON & 708 Seventh St. N.W. fj/Ol Optical Operating Costs? • We DON’T use tricky wording! We DON’T make false claims! We DON’T charge “Extra” for frames! • Your eye troubles come first! You MUST be sure you get the most efficient type of optical service. But, don’t rash in “just anywhere” and get glasses. Think also of price; take no chance of being “stuck” for a fancy price. When you come to Ideal you KNOW in advance just what it will cost; that it will not be over $7.50. Big Buildings—Who pays for thatf Expensive Furniture—Who pays for that? Bookkeeping Crews — Who pays for thatf Bad Credit losses—Who pays for thatf Collectors’ Commissions — Who pays for thatf FIGURE IT OUT FOR YOURSELF! • Expert examination by graduate and registered optometrist. • Single or double vision lenses. In cluding genuine Kryptoks and Crook’s Tinted • Choice of 15 styles of frames and shapes. Made of gold-filled materials • Any style including Rim less, Octagon, Drop Octa gon, Oxfords, Zylonite • Free adjustment service. Hours 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.M Thur. Evo. ’til 0 p.m. I Living Room Sofas, Easy Chairs, Open Arm Chairs, Wing Chairs $82 Easy Chair, Hepplewhite design; exposed frame solid mahogany. Semi-tufted back; down filled cushion; striped damask tailoring_*59 $76 Wing Chair, American Chippendale; with ball and claw feet of solid, mahogany. Tailored in blue brocatelle __ *54 $149.50 Sofa, Duncan Phyfe; exposed frame solid Honduras mahogany; brass claw feet; down filled cushions. Tailored in bisque tapestry _ - *199 $91 Barrel Chair, 18th Cen tury English; exposed frame solid mahogany; down filled cushion. Tailored in blue fig ured tapestry -*68 $84 Barrel Chair, Chippendale design; carved solid mahogany cabriole legs; ball and claw feet; cushion down filled. Tai lored in gold brocatelle-. *62 $185 Sofa, Chippendale; with carved cabriole legs; ball and claw feet; cushions down filled. Tailored in damask_ *120 $98 Easy Chair, Queen Anne design; with separate down filled pillow back and seat cushion. Cabriole legs of solid walnut. Tailored in brown brocatelle -*72 $137 Love Seat, 18th Century English; exposed frame solid Amazon mahogany; down filled cushions. Tailored in damask *95 $78 Easy Chair; the supremely comfortable Buckingham de sign with exposed frame of solid Honduras mahogany. Cushion down filled; tailored in gold damask *62 $73.50 Easy Chair, Sheraton design; exposed frame solid Honduras mahogany; down filled cushion. Tailored in green damask *49 $146 Sofa-Bed; a type which can be instantly converted into a full-size comfortable bed. Covered in green figured damask_*97.50 $70 Easy Chair, Queen Anne; exposed frame solid Honduras mahogany. Made with com fortable channel back and covered in gold damask with small green figure - *45 $170 Sofa, Directoire type; ex posed frame solid Honduras mahogany. Down filled cu shions. Tailored in figured damask _ *U5 $45 Open Arm Chair, Queen Anne; exposed frame solid Honduras mahogany. Tailored in self-figured damask, *29.50 ♦ $78.50 Easy Chair, the famous Lawson; with exposed frame of solid Honduras mahogany. Down filled cushion; tailored in striped damask-$58 $35 Wing Chair, Early Amer ican; exposed frame solid rock maple. Tailored in coL orful print-$22.50 $52.50 Club Type Easy Chair, of English design; solid rock maple frame; down filled pillow back and seat cush ion. Covered in handsome print -$35 $50 Lounge Chair, English type; solid rock maple frame; down filled cushion. Covered in attractive print-.$30 $73 Easy Chair, Adam de sign; exposed frame solid ma hogany; tailored in green fig ured damask. -*49 $63 Wing Chair, American Chippendale; exposed frame solid mahogany; tailored in hand blocked linen *42 $148 Love Seat, Hepplewhite; exposed frame solid Honduras mahogany. Down filled cush ions; tailored in brocatelle _ _ -*110 $98 Easy Chair, Queen Anne; exposed frame solid Honduras mahogany. Down filled cush ion. Tailored in crimson bro catelle ---—*65 $80 Barrel Chair* Sheraton type; exposed frame solid Honduras mahogany. Tai lored in dark green genuine top grain leather. —*54 $170 Sofa, Hepplewhite; ex posed frame solid Amazon mahogany. Down filled cush ions ; tailored in hand blocked linen_ ---*125 Cleaning House In the wake of every big selling event such as the February Sale, there are always numer ous odds and ends left—ones and twos of a kind. It has always been our custom to immediately follow with CLEARANCE— REDUCING PRICES RADICALLY. Scan the list carefully—and then come promptly for what interests you. Bedroom Groups $295 American Colonial Hepplewhite Group; genuine Hon duras mahogany. Eight pieces, with 4-poster Twin Beds. £235 $205 Early American Group; solid cherry, finished in the deep rich cherry color. Twin Beds, Bureau and Mirror, Chest, Night Table and Chair_$137 50 $625 French Provincial Group; French cherry and beech; twin beds have upholstered head and footboards__$325 $295 Sheraton Group; genuine Honduras mahogany, inlaid with boxwood. Eight pieces, including twin beds.£235 $350 American Colonial Group, following the Goddard block front design; genuine Honduras mahogany. Eight pieces, in cluding twin beds_$260 $325 American Chippendale Group; genuine Honduras ma hogany ; beautifully carved. 4-poster twin beds_$250 $415 American Queen Anne Group; solid Honduras mahog any with twin beds. Old Colonial red finish, rubbed dull. £298 Upholstered Bedroom Chairs $32.50 Barrel Chair, solid rock maple frame; covered in cypress twill with box pleated skirt_£22 $35 Barrel Chair; solid rock maple frame; covered in colorful cretonne, with box pleated skirt_$23 $20 Slipper Chair; tub back design; covered in green moire damask, piped in off-white. Box pleated skirt_£|^ $30 Small Size Bedroom Chair, with tufted seat and back. Damask upholstering and box pleated skirt_£22 50 $25 Slipper Chair, tub design; tailored in peach moire damask; box pleated skirt_$19 $29.50 Wing Chair; solid rock maple frame. Covered in color ful cretonne. Box pleated skirt _$22 Dining Room Groups $315 Sheraton Group of genuine Honduras mahogany con struction. Ten pieces_r_$235 $325 Hepplewhite Group; genuine Honduras mahogany oon struction. Ten pieces___ $335 Colonial Hepplewhite Group; genuine Honduras mahog any construction, with chairs of the Directoire design..$220 Broadloom Carpets A most extraordinary offering because these colors will not be replaced, and therefore the reductions are drastic. Widths 9, 12 and 15 feet, but not all colors are avail able in the 15-foot widths. With these widths floors can be covered from wall to wall, and are available for conversion into rugs of any size you order. We suggest you bring room measurements with you. Doesn’t show footprints. The available colors d a are Reseda Green, Henna Rose, Adam Blue, (f) Walnut, Desert Sand, Antique Mahogany and / "l* Chippendale. Regularly $9.50 Sq. Yd._ Plain Broadloom An outstanding quality from one of Ameri ca’s leading carpet mills, in 9, 12 and 15 foot r/ A C widths. Colors are Adam Blue, Chippendale, Henna Rose, Walnut and Antique Mahogany. ' iT Regularly $8.00 Sq. Yd.__ AH this Carpet is in stock, but these prices will nat urally bring active buying—and delivery will be made as quickly as possible. . Genuine Orientals Quoted Sizes Are Approximate Only 1 Tabriz; size 12x9.3. Regularly S450 _:_£198 Only 8 Gorevans. Regularly S295 _ -£195 Only 1 Mihriban; size 12.3x8.11. Regularly $350-£179 Only 1 Chinese; light peach. Size 9x12. Regularly $325 £165 Only 1 Chinese; light peach. Size 13x10. Regularly $450 £265 Only 2 Chinese; light peach and lacquer red. Size 8x10. Regularly $250 _£140 Domestic Rugs—in Floral and Oriental Designs Only 6 Hindustan Only 3 Plain Col* Only 2 Twist patterns. Regular- or Broadlooms. Weave Rugs. Reg '»«• U WAS *" •«■*«*■ $68 $25 $40 711 TWELFTH STREET Courtesy Parking Charge Accounts Capital Garage Available' t Living Room Sofas, Easy Chairs, Open Arm Chairs, Wing Chairs. $159 Sofa, the famous Lawson ; exposed frame solid mahog any; down filled cushions. Tailored in blue figured damask_ ___ *129 $157.50 Sofa, 18th Century Eng lish roll back type; exposed frame solid mahogany; down filled cushions. Tailored in striped damask --*125 $200 Sofa, Queen Anne; carved cabriole legs of solid walnut; down filled cushions. Tailored in green smooth-textured mo hair -*125 $1% Sofa, Buckingham type; exposed frame solid mahog any ; down filled cushions. Tailored in blue-green damask ___ -*U5 $155 Sofa, 18th Century Eng lish; with curved arms and back; exposed frame solid ma hogany; down filled cushions. Tailored in blue tapestry-£129 $162.50 Sofa, Hepplewhite; ex posed frame Amazon mahog any; down filled cushions. Tailored in small figured tapestry-*120 $45 Open Arm Chair, Chinese Chippendale; exposed frame solid mahogany. Tailored in handsome figured vdve<--£29.50 $45 Arm Chair, Sheraton; base of solid mahogany; tailored in blue broeatelle_ *29.50 $112.50 Club Chair, English type; exposed frame solid Amazon mahogany. Separate down filled pillow back and seat cushion. Tailored in green broeatelle.. - £69.50 $56 “Host” Chair, Hepplewhite design; exposed frame solid mahogany; covered in small figured damask .. *39.50 $25 Open Arm Chair, Hepple white; exposed frame solid Honduras mahogany; tailored in red broeatelle_5Q $45 Arm Chair, Sheraton type; exposed frame solid mahog any. Covered in blue striped damask ......-*29.50 Table Lamps 540 Table Lamp, ox blood base; white silk shade trimmed with fringe -*27.50 $25 Staffordshire Lamp; blue and white base with Chinese rough silk shade_5Q $15 Table Lamp; with brass Empire base; natural wood finish; green and gold shade-*1Q $20 Table Lamp, large size; with black and gold shade to match -*12 $14 Table Lamp, with pottery base in flower design; shaped silk shade_._ £Q 527 Table Lamp, with green and gold Chippendale base; silk shade to match_$17 521 Faience Table Lamp; blue and white, with blue and white shade-^4 530 Table Lamp, with black and yellow porcelain base; pongee silk shade_$17,50 515 Table Lamp, Williamsburg pottery; in soft brown and egg shell colors; with rough silk shade to match_ -$9 520 French Pottery Table Lamp, with ship decorations; fish net designed shade, in matching colors_ -$13 520 Alabaster Figurines; in white with red and white shades... 520 Table Lamp, with Staf fordshire base; deep brown colors, with bell shaped silk shade_ $Y2. 513.50 Large French Provincial Table Lamp, with pottery base and yellow and tan deco rations ; shade to match. 515 Table Lamp, with classical base and brown and gold deco rations; shade to match_£9 514 Table Lamp, with cream and turquoise base; cream silk shade_^9 510 Table Lamp; base of rose and cream composition; Vic torian bowknot shade 50 • i