10 AUGUST 1944, Page 1

Finland's New overnment%

The resumption of office by Marshal Mannerheim in succession to the disastrous President Ryti, on which comment was made last week, has now borne its expected results in a radical change of the Finnish Cabinet. The moderate conservative Antii Hackzell has replaced Professor Limkomies as Prime Minister, and he brings with him a team of ministers clearly designed to be a peacemaking Government. The new Foreign Minister is the banker Carl Enckell, who was in Moscow last March discussing armistice terms during the earlier abortive attempt to take Finland out of the war. The way has been paved for the Finns' repudiation of the agreement with Germany partly by Germany's own default in her promise of military help, partly by her recent withdrawal of the bulk of even the meagre reinforcements which were sent last month. The rout of German forces on all fronts, and not least in the north-east, makes speedy trimming of sails in Helsinki more than ever urgent. But still more radical change of Government may be found necessary before a genuine peace-Cabinet can be constructed. Hackzell is a notoriously opportunist lawyer, who was pro-German enough when tht Germans were winning, though he has latterly urged peace with Russia. The Marshal declared, when he took office, that his aim was to act on behalf of a united people. Finnish parties and

parliamentary politicians have been slow to set an example of such unity in leadership. It remains to be seen whether the subtle Hackzell can win sufficient confidence among the Social Democrats and the Swedish Peoples' Party, whose leader is now Minister of Justice. These parties led the protest against the agreement with Ribbentrop last month, and are the most anxious for peace. In the face of these hesitations, Russian demands remain remarkably and consistently moderate, based as before on a policy of national security.