Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-03
FINNISH POWER IN
HANDS Of RUSSIA
Bill Passed by Duma Calculated
to Destroy Racial Traits
in Province
DISREGARD FOREIGN OPINION
Measure of Legislators Proves
Body in Hands of Bureau
cTaCy, Is Contention
FOREIGN OPINION

ST. PETERSBURG, July 2.-The
government bill regulating the affairs
of Finland and recently passed by the
duma provides for the transference
from the diet to the duma and the
council of the empire of the legislative
power in regard to the following mat
ters:
The participation Of Finland in I'M
perial expenditure and the correspond
ing taxation; military matters; the
rights of Russians in Finland; the use
of the Russian language in Finland;
the rights of the imperial administra-
tion in Finland; the execution in Fin
land of the sentences of the Russian
courts: Finnish judicial reform; educa-
ton; rights of assembly, association
and press customs, posts and tele-
graphs, aeronautics, copyright, trade
marks, rights of Russian and foreign
companies in Finland; railways; coin
age; navigation and pilotage; the
rights of foreigners in Finland.
The list may be extended at the en-
peror's discretion. Four Flnlanders
NAV be elected to the duma and one
to the council of the empire.
Premier Stolypn in speaking on the
bill said the conflict with the diet on
the military question forced the gov
ernment to introduce the bill. Apply
ing the argument he employed recently
regarding Poland, the premier said
that the three periods Of Finland $
greatest independence were those when
she most injured the Russian empire.
For proof he referred to his own
speech, delivered in the duma two
wears ago. He admitted that the En-
peror Alexander gave Finland a con-
stitution, but only provincial con-
stitution. Owing to Finland's exemp-
tion from certain imperial expenses,
the Russians paid six copecks per head
ner annum for Finlands upkeep.
M. Stolypin said that the proof that
the governments S aim was not bureau
cratic was that the emporer charged
the duma and not the bureaucrecy
with the execution of the scheme. Re.
| ferring to foreign opinion, ne declared
| that the offer of unasked adVlce was
an EXPRESSION of contempt which must
! he resisted by display of national
strength. .1.,4 +hey
were not amenable to kindness. Rus
sia must not be swayed by foreign
| interference, The government was ac-
cused of trucking to reaction IN oroer
| to abolish Finnish autonomy. (Crles
of "T'rue. true" from the oppositlon.)
! Thev were told that the bureaucracy
Intended to destroy Finnish scnools;
! liberty of the press, of meetings ana
! of associations. (Repeated cries OF
| "1fTnR true ana COHSlueIobDlC
1t was necessary to establish lmpeLlal
surveillance in these matters. They
| could not allow the minds OF the
| Finnish youth to be systematically
poisoned against Russia. The premier
concluded by appealing to the repre-
sentatives of the nation to vlnulcato
| Russias rights. On the DIVISION Cho
government had large majority.
That this measure should have been
nassed bv the duma proves that 1t IS
| in the hands of the bureaucracy anu
that reaction in Russia is trlumpnaan,l. an,
1t Is not Finland only that sufters. Inc
| constitution of Finland Is taken away
from her against her will and without
| her consent. The fact that the sup
preston of her liberties is the work
of a Russian duma does not after the
! nature of what is done. There is no
! spiritual difference between the actlon
of the duma and that of military
force. That reaction was supreme 4ds
| for some time been evident. ana the
fate of the bill providing zemstVos for
| the western provinces, that is the Dill
| for creating in Russian Poland locaI
governments in which Russians are 10
| he supreme was a sufficient PROOF ol
the fact. Russia, in snort, tor an
| other generation is to have the ulS-
cinIine of arbitrary administration;
! The process of converting Flnns anu
! poles into Russians seems to the
bureaucracy to be analogous TO thdL
of leveling a gravel road with stedni
roller. What the result cf the expert
ment will be after twenty or thirty
wears it is impossible to foretell.
That the idea is to turn Firms INTO
Russians is proved by the emperor,
command to the president of the dlet
TO reply in Russian as we'll as III IN
nish and Swedish to the proclamation
closing the session. But the fact that
hitherto Finnish and Swedish rather
! than Finnish and Russian have been
used on these occasions gives hint
that the Firms have not hitherto been
as willing or as able as might per
hans have been reasonable to recognize
| their political relationship with Rus
sia. That does not prevent their hav-
! ing the sympathy of all the races tnaI
cherish the spirit of nationality.