Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-10
Discussing the Probable Outcome of
the Peace Conference.
RUSSIAN DESIGN ON FINLAND
Why Some Portions of London Are
so Terribly Oyercrowded.
RELICS OF BYGONE DAYS


LONDON. May n. 1899.
There is general concurrence of opinion
In the Corlynunica tons of the cOTrespon-
dents Of The Hague that the peace confer
ence will agree upon a scheme OF internal
tional arbiuatio
The British delegates proposal for the
establishment of d permanent tribunal for
the settlement of international misunder-
standings by mediation arbitration mas
been backed by NJ. de S,aa!. who produced,
on Behalf of Russia. a printed set of pro-
posals on the lines OF those advocated by
Sir Julian Pauncefote- As the United
States * prepared To support the cstab-
Iishment Of an arbitration court, the other
powers are likely to give the subject at
least careful attention. Il. Of course, ny
no means follows that the AngIo-Russian
scheme Will be accepted in its entirety. but
unless something very unexpected happens
substantial progress should he made before
the rising Of thu conference in the direc-
tion Of settling European quarrels by rea-
son Instead of 10y cannon.
What its scope and character Is so
far only be a matter of conjecture, but it
Will he q great achievement if all the pow
Crs agree to set up a tribunal of this kind,
and require that all international differ
enccs shall. in the first instance, be sub
mittcd 10 a tribunal representative of the
orin! OF the CT. ilized world. What ef-
have or some of the questions that are
now giving most trouble is a matter of
considerable interest. Would 1T be possible
To invoke the powers Of sticn a tribunal to
settle the conflicts going on at Pekin. and
especially the lncess3pt struggle going on
between Great Britain and RussiaH This
at least is matter OF doubt, and in any
case there is too much reason to fear that
questions affecting the succession to the
property Of diving nations would not
come before an international tribunal. The
y ). !.
TO refer its position in the Philippines to
an arbitration court. nor would Russia take
that course in regard to her position in
China.
II would he an interesting fact If the dis
pute as to the Alaskan boundary were the
first case to come before the great inter
national tribunal which Is on the eve of
being created.
Finland's Appeal.
II will be interesting to see if any notice
will be taken by the peace conference of
the pathetic appeal made TO it by Finland
against Russian designs upon the freedom
Of the country.
II is a curious fact that Europe knows so
little OF the FiulanGers whose unfortunate
plight IS row exercising the SympaJ ny of
the lovers of freedom. Finnish literature
is practically an unknown quantity outside
the boundaries of the state. Yet scholars
declare that the language Is one of the
most harmonious and perfect in the world.
The love of sweet and soft words has been
pushed so far that the Finlauders have no
knowledge whatever Of the siblHut Of gut
tuTaI sounds. The race is divided into four
distinct ErOdps-the bulgarian. the Ousrt n.
the Pevmian and the furnish group proper
-, UmPriSilg the FiHlandcrs living III Fin
lani, the EsthcuiaHs. LiVonians, Lapland-
erS, IUgTens and Tschoudes. They are
spread over practically the whole of the
north If Europe and Asia, and are 4 dis
tirctIy interesting peCP'e 1t IS PROBABLY
because OF the insigriiicanCe Of the pOliti-
cal role taken 10y them and the difficulty in
CompreiIT 5-,iiss- the different divisions of
their language that they are so little
known.
Russia's Explanation.
An attempt is being made by Russians
10 attribute the attack upon the liberties
and privileges of the Finlarders to the
great influence Sweden IS enGeavoring TO
obtain in Finland 1t is to be hoped that
10 one Will accept this belated and ride
h.ous explanation When asked what beuc
n Sweden could expect to derive from in
triEU@s In Finland. 10 reasonable eXplaua-
tICu is given by these Russian aPologists
for these wroHgduiugs- 1t is absurd to
suggest that the harsh measures adopted
Ntre sort Of commensurate to the de-
signs Of Sweden. which has wish 10
thwaTt a powerful nation like Russia.
No doubt the FiulanGers are more in
sympathy with the Swedes than with the
Russians. Iecause the former are more en-
heightened -han the latter. = large section
OF The educated FiHlaUders are Of Swedish
Origin but Il Is absolutely denied that there
Is the slightest ground for the assertion
that any political action has been founded
on the racial sympathy which exists be-
tween Swedes and Fin,au3ers. 1t would
please Russia TO discover evolutionary
movement in order TO justify the steps now
being taken. and it looks as if an effort
were being made to invent one as q pre-
text for introducing severe measures.
Oyercrowdins in London.
The overcrcwding which exists to such an
alarming extent in some OF the central
districts Of London. and which was ex-
posed In the No Room to Live" papers
in the Daily News lately, is nowhere worse
than in ST. Paucras in the northern dis
trict. where It IS found impossible to en-
frrcv the sanitary laws Here thousands of
working people live in a hand to mouth
existence y committee which recently re-
ported on the subject frankly declared that
y She hyS-lawS On oveTCrowding We're to
b. enforced the people could not be housed.
They mast simply be turned into the street
Tn competition Tor houses - such that
tAe rents Tor small tcErmcGts are cnOr-
nous. and She houses are practically let
10y auction The highest bidder becomes
the tenant In such circumstances the st.
IapGIds authorities refuse to enforce the
Dye-laWS TN the county council provides
for the r,:ousins Of the displaced tenants.
As the county council cannot or will not do
this, oV-rCrOwdICg must 90 on. The coun-
oue-haE of the people they Cxpri from their
homes. There VIII assur5diy b. another
Outr-- after the clearaEces 20 be effected
by the construction Of the HOlborn-S Strand
Few tEoruUShfarc. as several thousand peo-
PIE must have homes found for them.
Result of Small Buiidings
In most Of the poorer districts Of London
the overcrowdinS results from the style Of
building employed. The American in Lon
don Is often aStonished to see street after
street Of wretched little two-story houses
occupy ing ground that might be c0ve.s g to
So much better advantage by large model
tenement hOUS 8 These tiny houses are
crowded 10y scvera! families, and year after
year nothing * done to relieve this condi~
ti0u Of things.
u would pay an enterprising builder to
put up large tenemeUts. The first ever seen
II London Were those built Just south of
the Thames by the American banker
George Peabody. While these were intended
10 assist the working classes moderate
rents were charged ard the Peabody build
ings became a recognized type in London