Helsinki, June 4.
Finland is determined to proceed with the project for fortifying the Aaland Islands in spite of Soviet oblections, the "Uusi Suomi," leading newspaper here, declares today Stating that the action of the Swedish Government in postponing sation on the plan for the time being will not influence Finland's decision, the paper asserts that from the ridica] point of view, Finland enjoys complete freedom of action, because all states signatory to the Aaland Convention have accepted the Swedish-Finnish plan.
Regarding the decision of the Swedish Government to delay passage of the fortifications bill through parto the objections raised by the Soviet Government—the paper declares that this will not prevent Finland from exercising her rights or from defending her neutrality and independence with all the means at her disposal.
The paper proceeds to state that public opinion in Sweden favours the plan for fortifying the Aaland Islands. It points to an article in a Swedish peper wherein it is declared that withdrawal of the fortifications bill from the Swedish parliament does not signify rejection of the fortifications plan, but is due to technical reasons only.—Trans-Ocean.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.