Stockholm, Mar. 19.
Attempts are being made by the Russians to banish British influence in Finland's famous nickel mines at Petsamo, according to the newspaper "Aftonbladet." The Moscow correspondent of the paper says during the forthcoming trade negotiations with Finland, the Soviet Government will seek to acquire control of the nickel mines and other ore deposits off Petsamo.—Reuter, sent Having examined the situation, the British Cabinet was satisfied that an effective force for aiding Finland was not possible on a volunteer basis, and that the force required by May would only be available if raised on an official basis, as a properly organized expedition. Plans were prepared and discussed at a meeting of the Supreme War Council on February 2.
Preparations for expeditions were carried on with all rapidity, and at the beginning of March, a British and expeditionary force of 100,000 men was all ready to leave two months before Field Marshal Mannerheim had asked for it to arrive.
In constructing plans for the expedition, Mr, Chamberlain said, there were several important factors to be considered. No effective expedition could arrive in Finland except by passing through Norway and Sweden. Therefore, before its despatch it would have been necessary to obtain the assent of those two Governments.
It did not take much imagination, he said, to conceive what was the attitude' of Germany. "We know now that as soon as she heard the rumour of such force passing through the two. countries, she threatened Norway and Sweden with her intervention if they gave their assent.
"We felt that we must be ready also to provide force to come to the assistance of Sweden, in defending herself, if she should be attacked by Germany. If the two Governments had given their assent, transport diftculties in Norway aiid Sweden would have placed a limit on the size of the force.
"In these circumstances," said Mr.
Chamberlain, "we decided to provide the largest force which would be permitted by the physical conditions that we had to encounter Part of the force would be required for the assistance of Sweden, part would be an expeditionary force to help Fin-would: bd required to maintain te land and, in addition, certain -troops
long line of communication."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.