The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-05-20
province, which, though politically {

| province, which, though politically q
part Of Russia, more properly belongs
by geographical position, to Norway and
Sweden. The population of Finland has
been steadily increasing in late years
for the reason that there is practically
no emigration from 1t, and in this par
ticular it differs from most European
countries. 1t has, moreover, the advan-
| tage arising from a small immigration
to it from various Russian provinces,
and then, also, Finland is one of the Eu-
ropean countries in which the birth rate
| is decidedly higher than the death rate.
| The normal increase of population now
averages about thirty thousand year,
! Just now the policy of the Russian
government appears to be inclined to a
curtailment of the former political
rights of the Firms who are Scandina-
VANS by race and Lutherans in religion.
| This attitude has had the effect of slim
ulating the organization of the Firms OF
the United States, most numerously ar
present in the city of Brooklyn, but
largely represented in the population Of
those western and northern citi@s in
which other Scandinavians are to be
found in considerable number.
There has recently been established inl
Brooklyn what is known as the Finnish
American Central committee, the mem
bers of which expect to take an active
part in the agitation in this country di-
rected against the Cars decree against
Finnish autonomy. There has also been
formed committee of Finlanders
throughout the middle western part of
the country, the members Of which have
been discussing the propriety of sending
a delegation to Washington to invoke
the good offices of the state department
in support of F'inland's rights, If an OPP
portunity offers, at the International
Peace Congress called by the Russian
government to meet at The Hague. The
Grand Duchy of Finland was ceded to
Russia by Sweden in September, 1909,
retaining its separate government and
constitution which dates back for
number of centuries. This constitution
provides for a national parliament to be
called at intervals of four or five years
by the Car of Russia under his Finnish
title of Grand Duke. The Car has
veto power upon any laws proposed by
this parliament, and the concurrent as
sent of all the branches of it is necessa-
ry to any radical changes. Recently the
former constitutional rights of the Firms
have practically been suspended, the
course Of the Russian government being
to lengthen the intervals between the
meetings of the parliament, to subst-
tute imperial for local authority, to
make Gas was done in 1S90) the circula-
ton of Russian money in Finland COM
pulsory, to substitute the use of Russian
for Finnish, and to reduce the foreign
trade of the country with England and
Germany, the chief Finnish exports, tim
Der, butter and wood pulp, being to Eng
land and the chief imports, cereals, SUI
gar, coffee and tobacco, being from Ger
many About tenth of the area of
Finland is made up of lakes, and the In
ternal communication throughout the
country is chiefly by water. the railroad |
being less than 1000. The Films |
of the United States have taken little
part heretofore in public affairs, but the |
recent hostile course of the Russian gov
eminent toward their compatriots has |
had the effect of inducing them to or
ganize, and may lead later to their en-
trance into American politics.-New |
York Sun.