The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-10
TIE sILENcE OF FINLANp.
Finnish RevOIutIonIsts Deferred by Fear,
Not OF Russia, but Of CiNIl War.

To the EDITOR OF II SUN Sir. Tho
general news from Russia reveals very little
and all that we may be said to know IL tina, A
titanic struggle ls going on between he forces
OF autocracy and reaction on one side and OF
reform aud progress on the other, The final
outcome, having the lessons oil history before
us, IL not doubtful; but what course the con.
fiict between these two forces " II. take before
The sovereignty Of the people dominates the
authority of the Autocraoy Is undetermined
These remarks apply more particularly /.
Russia proper, where the masses are ilit crate
and without an independent press TO instruct
them or to which they can appeal.
In what may be called the dependencies
and outlying provinces OF Russia, such "A
Finland, Poland and the Caucasus, things are
somewhat different. In the first named the
situation Ia 80 peculiar that II calls for special
notice. No one who paid attent iou To what
was passing In that part of the Russian En-.
pire could fail to remark the brusQueness with
which 1t lapsed from a condition Of revoln.
tionary activity to one OF unexpected tran.
auillty. At the time the cause Of the sudden
change was NOT apparent. but an incident that
has occurred since the beginning of tn wear
throws an interesting light on some Of the
extreme violence OF the irresponsible and
yltrerevolutionsIy, party and that ended by
land 10 come to a compromise with the Rus.
Sian Government, which was only too glad
to be relieved OF the FINNISH trouble for the
As il appears now. the struggle in Finland
was properly speaking a three ,%cornered ono,
IN which the middle and upper classes prohted
the Russian despotism. 1t would seem from
what a Paris correspondent writes IN" thai
the Moderate party in Finland, one Of The
l9oet prominent men in which ia Senator
Mechelin, conceived the idea of operating on
the Russian Government by founding a paNer
I'm one OF the European capitals and using II
as a vehicle to make II acquainted with the
views of the Finnish Leaders The pape&
Tss S9 SIs Sy ftse I f for a similanTy p 1%i 4 y1 oG,
specially denounced at the conclusion Of tho
nrst year. Except as regarded Finnish AZ:
action: on them his pen was entirely Under
control Of the Finnish committee,
During he past year a general agtt;RuS'an
this paper. the articles and news about Fin
land being exclusively or linnish origin
The year 1905 terminated without any de-
relaxation OF the severity of the exposures
and criticisms of the Russian rule in Finland
previous notice the subsidy and contributiorA
from Finland ceased on january 81 last, and
the connection W the Finnish committee
the paper was broken. and without recourse
for breach OF contract that could in any way
The explanation given of this curious In.
oIdent in the reyolutionary ,moycncpt
ger Of being crushed between the upper ard
neither millstones OF the Russian autocracv
and the revolution, threw itself on he former.
which exaoted as a part. OF the. pri . for ia
support the cessation ofthe subsidized attacks
on Itself.
: The Finnish, revolution lists therefore have
now the united, opposition of the Russian
autocracy and their own reactionary CLASSES
to face, and are p~erforce inact i've for the
present. The Russian Government has with
drawn all its officials from Finland. 80 that
in appearance it IL enjoying home rule nj a
comprehensive character, but how long that
happy condition may last remains to be seen.
In the meantime the revolutionary Firms
can renew their agitations only at the risk Of
producing what would amount to. civil war,
ioh the Russian autocracy would only need
to allow to go on until both sides were ew-
hausted, and then walk In and crush both,
for the socialism of the. revolutionists and
the ultranationalism of the conservatives N
Finland are alike obnoxious to the Russian
Government. +.
NEW ORR, March Q.