Word: petsamo
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Soon there might be peace with Finland (see col. 2). Finland would remain independent. For Finland, stripped of a strategic Petsamo and Hango, would be harmless, lying like a baby between the paws of a bear...
...another front where time meant something to the Germans. They wanted to keep the Soviets' 20 divisions (plus reserves) in Finland tied up there as long as possible, to stave them off their own necks at Narva. They were desperately anxious to keep the Russians away from Petsamo and its nickel mines, away from the Petsamo air base from which German planes sniped at Allied shipping in the Arctic...
...again Russia may choose between these two methods. Moscow's proposals in February and March followed the second line of action. These terms-the 1940 frontiers, the harbor of Petsamo lost to Russia, and a heavy indemnity-would have reduced Finland to a position of economic dependency and more or less permanent military impotence. There probably would have been internal difficulties in Finland besides, as few governments in history have survived a lost war and Russia's conditions would have meant to most Finns that Finland had lost the war. Moreover the Germans would probably have made...
...with Germany, intern Nazi troops and ships, calling for Russian help if necessary (as it probably would be); restore the 1940 frontier and agreement with Russia; release all Russian and Allied prisoners and internees. Reparations due Russia, demobilization of the Finnish Army and the future of the port of Petsamo on the Arctic may be discussed in Moscow later. At week's end, the Finns were still thinking it over...
Russia was as uncommunicative about her plans for postwar Europe as she was about military details. Common sense indicated that Russia, for her future security, will demand European concessions-possibly Petsamo in Finland, warm-water ports in the Baltic, a sphere of influence in the Balkans, access to the Black Sea straits. Common sense also indicated that, unless a general and open agreement is reached soon on joint postwar policies, the Allies' present comradeship-in-arms may turn into a barracks brawl. The first chairs were already being thrown by pro-Soviets and anti-Soviets in the Balkans...