My Finnish Diary -By Sir Walter Citrine

ON Thursday, 30th November, 1939, to the dismay and border of the civilised world. Soviet Russia brutally attacked her little neighbour of Finland. Socialist and democrats were stupefied at this outburst of savagery.Was not Russia the great advocate of collective security?Had not its spokesman repeatedly affirmed their single desire to live at peace with the world ? Russia had no need of further ” living room.” Controlling over one sixth of the earth’s surface, it boasted of immeasurable natural resources. Time and time again Litvinov.Molotov and Stalin had proclaimed that Russia did not covet a single yard of the territory of any other state. Ter territorial expansion was the discredited device of capitalist countries. Russia had no such imperialist designs.Socialists everywhere, however, much they disagreed with certain aspects of Soviet activity, implicitly believed in Russia’s pacific intentions. Was it not the spokesman and supporters of Russia who had been most vociferous in denouncing aggression ? Was not Russia in the van of those who demanded that an end must be put to aggression ? Had her supporters not derided the statesmen of Europe for their vacillation and hesitation in meeting the challenge of Fascism in Abyssinia, Austria, Spain and Czechoslovakia ? Scathing references to” Munich,” and dark hints of an impending betrayal of democracy by British statesmen because of their unwillingness to face the challenge of Nazi Germany, had thrown into relief the stout-hearted firmness of Russia’s readiness to stand solidly against aggression.