17,000 Russians Killed or Captured; Smallpox Breaks Out in Red Army; Helsinki Bombed Stockholm, Dec. 19.
MOST serious defeat was suffered by Soviet Russian troops in the Suomisalmi region, it was announced here today. No less than 17,000 Soviet soldiers were either killed or captured by the Finns.
On the other hand, however, the situation of the Finns in northern Finland appears desperate. They lost a hard battle there, as Soviet tanks swept eve rything before them. The Finns have just received a number el f anti-tank guns which enabled them to stage counter-attacks in some sectors.
Nevertheless the Soviet advance towards Pankajaei rvi seems certain. South of Lake 1 Ladoga the Finns are maintaining their positions.—Havas.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.