Yesterday occurred another of those heartless assaults by a strong nation upon a weak neighbour which are honoured nowadays by the name of wars. Early in the morning the gigantic Soviet Union attacked Finland by land, sea and air. It was immaterial that the President of the United States, only the previous day, had offered to mediate concerning the demands which had been served by Russia upon Finland. It was likewise immaterial that the Finns, bowing to the inevitable, had instructed their Ambassador in Moscow to offer "conciliation," and to promise that their troops would be moved so far from the Russian border that Leningrad no longer would be compelled to live in perpetual fear of "Finnish aggression." The Ambassador was not given even a chance to present this honourable - too honourable - reply before diplomatic relations were broken off by the Kremlin, and within a few hours the Red war 'planes were over Helsinki.
The Irish Times, December 1st, 1939.