THE FRANKLIN TIMES Issued Every Friday IIS Cwn >m< T^lephonr 283-1 JL. P. MBXiOS. Editor and ,Manag?-r T i ? if i JL I itiim. Afiuiuii Editor and Manager SCBSCRIFTIOX RAISES Oh Tear ?l-? Eight Moalfc* .... 1? Six Months 7fi h imr Moathi . . .SO * , Konip Rtpmrautin AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION , New York Cltj Entervd at the Poatoffice at Lonlsbiirg. X. C. an ?econd claaa mall matter. Vice President Garner, from Texas, lias announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for Presi dent. He is being strongly backed by his home State. WHAT OF RUSSIA'S ACTIVITY ' - It would be difficult to exaggerate the grave import ance of Russia's attack 011 Finland. It came as a fear ful shock to the European neutrals which have been at tempting to move heaven and earth to keep the war from spreading. The repercussions were felt strongly in the United States. Paul Mallow, speaking of the reaction of our own officials, said of the Finnish invasion, that "there is not a mind 011 high which does not privately believe this is Sarajevo" ? in other words, that the fuse has been lit which may blast a localized war into a gen eral European war. One thing la apparent, in the view of most reporters ? and that Is that Russia's action was an ex ample of totalitarian power, pol itics at their worst and most bru tal. Russia's argument that thej Finns started the trouble and1 threatened her territory is dis counted exactly 100 per cent in most quartess ? it isn't reasonable for a nation of 3.000.00U people to threaten one of 150,000,000. The logical explanation, say the observers, is that Russia saw gn opportunity to gain at minimum cost a long-de9ired territory. It is virtually impossible for Ea- 1 gland and France to give aid to the Finns. Germany, whether she likes it or not, claims to be solidly behind the Soviet desire to dominate the Scandinavian na tions, And the other Scandina-j vlan countries are in no position to give military aid to their neighbor. Prime fear now is that the ia vasion of Finland was simply the first step in a grim plan which Stalin has long bad in mind ? and which has been held in abeyance until other major powers Were so engrossed with other matters that they couldn't effectively op pose his ambitions. Experts fore see the possibility of Russia slow ly and steadily moving forward until all the small Balkan and Baltic nations are either absorb ed or made puppets of the Krem Jin ? a technique which the Nazis pursued with great success ' ia Central Europe when they placed, the Swastika over Czechoslovakia, Austria and much of Poland. And then they envison a combination of Russia and Germany ( whose Ideologies are obviously coming nearer to jibing all the time) to dominate the entire hemisphere. So much for prophecy. When it comes to facts, it does seem that Russia's latest adventure has ser ved to clarify the European situ ation. Germany and Rtissia ap parently really are allies and are working close together in ques tions of policy, even though their ' troops have not fought side by side. The small nations are defi nitely lined up now on the side of j the democracies. And Italy has just about severed the Rome-; Berlin axis. The Italian press denounced Kussla's Finnish In vasion, and uniformed fascists held public meetings, which were not disturbed by the police, in protest. Best guess is that Mus solini hates Stalin more than he loves Hitler, and that if he Is at last unsuccesful In his desperate attempt to keep out of the war, he will throw in his lot with 'he democracies. Interesting phase of Russian German cooperation is what has happened to the Communist party in the U. S. To put It mildly, It has been split wide open ? well known sympathizers have resign ed from Its councils, unable to stomach what they regard as Sta lin's cynical dlscardance of Len ln'a principles. And the public generally seems to view Russia with almost the same profoand distaste with which it regards Nail Germany. Gone is the day when the world at large looked toward the Soviet as a potential ally of the democratic powers. FOR FIRST CLASS PRINTING PHONE 283-1 ADMINISTRATOR'S NOTICE Having qualified as Administra tor of the estate of James Henry Alston, deceased, late of Franklin County, North Carolina, this Is to notify all persons having claims against the estate of said deceased to exhibit them to the undersign ed on or before the 22nd day of December, 1940, or this notice will b? pleaded in bar of their re covery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make Im mediate payment. This 21st day wf OMMbtr. 1939. - >' 1 w C. Kearney, 1 * 1 lt-?-