At Falun, Sweden last week, Finns and Russians met on a happier battleground than they had during the winter war of 1939-40. The two nations, along with 18 others, met for the Federation International de Ski (F.I.S.) world championships in the "Nordic" division, i-e., jumping and cross-country races, where winning premiums are paid for stamina, endurance and style. The Russians, competing in their first F.I.S. championships, sent a big delegation: 32 skiers, including eight women, plus 19 "leaders," most of whom seemed to prefer fireside comforts to watching the Russian team in action.
Mostly, the amiable Russians seemed more bent on winning...