-HE Finnish Army yesterday two fronts after four days of Helsinki, Dec, 17. consolidated its victories won on savage fighting. At Soumusalmi, 20 miles from the Russian border on the Central front, the Finns cut off the Russian advance aim ed at cutting Finland in two and trapped 5,000 Russians. Three hundred miles farther south the Finns were holding a Red force on the east side of the Taipale River, preventing them from effecting a crossing. The battle of Suomusalmi at least temporarily ended one of Finland's greatest perils, because the Russians attempted to cut the only railway over which Finland can receive supplies overland from the outside world.
Meanwhile, an official war communique reported heavy fighting at many points on Thursday, marked by Finnish forces completely crushing a Russian tank attack at Taipale in which 150 Russian tanks were destroyed. Four tanks were captured, the communique said, as. well as "hundreds of enemy dead" at other points, The tank attack followed a severe military and artillery bombardment, but crumpled before accurate Finnish fire, the communique declared. The communique described all other attacks as "repulsed" with the exception of an attack on Petsamo, where for the first time the admitted that "our troops drawn to Salmijaervi troops pursued the retreating Russian forces at lolvijaervi and were mopping up at Suomusalmi, the communique asserted.
The communique also reported the destruction of one Russian patrol boat by coastal batteries during widespread naval activity Thursday. One Russian plane was reported shot down by Finnish anti-aircraft fire, the communique stated.—United Press, New Government is
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