Finns Admit Seriousness of Position and Pray For Snow But Check Russians on All Fronts Stockholm, Feb, 15.
[AND-TO-HAND fighting, in which the Finns are using their pukkas—long pointed knives—as well as bayonets, is con~ tinuing today on the Karelian Isthmus. Although the Finns are not disguising the seriousness of the position there, they are not showing undue alarm. They point out that after 2% months of fighting and the loss of about 250,000 men, all the Russians have to show is a preliminary foothold in the outside edge of the Mannerheim Line, and a few strips of wild Finnish territory in the north, Four regiments of tanks, it is stated, are being used by the Russians on the Isthmus, 150 tanks at Muola, and 250 at Summa, The Finnish General Staff claim that half the total number of Russian tanks so far used has already been put out of action. The remainder of the tanks, however, are able to advance without land obstacles in the Summa sector, where a certain amount of open ground is covered with snow which is trampled down and frozen hard, Bombs as well as shells are still being showered on the Isthmus, On one Finnish coastal port on Lake Ladoga, the Russians are said to have dropped 500 bombs without gaining a single hit, The Finns are now praying for a heavy fall of snow, which would cripple Russian activity on land and fir, and give Finnish soldiers breathing spell.
Russia is using men from a wide area. Recent prisoners have come from the Turkish border Reuter. sen, eh. 38 suttted in capturing afew Finnish nian frees east of Summa cee se epoaons, butte SEceR vat ated by biter Poni mae ce before. Une sian could resent gestions, forte nse Tee badan nen, it was reported fore lest night other Red allacks_ were 28- Neoyy ower to, the aod, "hope ie was. came geek dead and' doves a aceeed tank itered tects yet ecg aw the bale {ina in te' Summa sere.
the Kuba star a Ruslan vian "oan broken up" andthe Fine captured acverel machine sun North of Take. Zadogn the Rus-tet tea"te advance. The Kol-The Ses foules shliea al usin "ish te sac long the lee of tne Galt of Finland, sinking several tunis, presumably" by employing Migkangesslungog fe) which mised tke ice beneath them, pore
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.