Le Nord : revue internationale des Pays de Nord - 01.06.1939, Blaðsíða 529

CHRONIQUE TRIMESTRIELLE 519
country as a springboard for an
attack against any one of our neigh-
bours. Our absolute, unconditional,
neutral attitude binds us thereto.
This is forbidden to us also by the
non-aggression pact, which we con-
cluded with the Soviet Union and
which we shall maintain in its full
extent.
“The fact that we have agreed
to political discussions with the
Soviet Union is due to our honest
love of peace. We live under con-
ditions of complete understanding
with our neighbours in the west.
We should very gladly see also our
relations eastwards improved and
the old differences softened where
that can take place without the
sacrifice of other similarly im-
portant, or perhaps still more im-
portant, interests.
“We can well understand that
the strengthening of the security of
the Soviet Union’s second largest
town, its former capital, can, at
least theoretically, make a certain
regulation desirable. From the point
of view of mutual understanding
we have no reason to oppose it, in-
sofar as it can be done without
weakening our own country and
without injuring its essential in-
terests.
“In other words: we have pre-
sumed that the discussions will be
carried on on the basis of equality,
and with efforts aimed at an im-
partial consideration of each party’s
advantage. If either party renounces
an advantage, it must be compen-
sated with some advantage from
the other party’s side.
“We can, of course, not make
any renunciation, which would in-
volve danger for our position as
an independent neutral State, in the
precise Western meaning.
“Nor can we sanction anything
that would hinder our co-opera-
tion with the other truly neutral
Northern States or increase our
distance from them. Our serious ef-
fort is, on the contrary, to streng-
then more and more our connec-
tions with them. We are insepar-
ably united with the Scandinavian
States by a history of almost a
thousand years, by our social and
judicial systems, our culture and the
character of our people. But all this
naturally does not prevent us from
striving to improve our relations
with the Soviet Union; far from it.
“We cannot agree to anything
which would threaten our own
security and our own possibilities
of defence. On the other hand, such
changes in favour of the Soviet
Union can be discussed, which
would leave our own security un-
diminished, and which could be
compensated by other advantages.”
Speaking of the proposals put
forward by the Soviet Union Mr.
Cajander said:
“The Soviet Union has given as
a reason for their proposal the need
for strengthening Leningrad’s se-
curity. From this point of view it
might be an important considera-
tion for the Soviet Union that cer-