The daily sentinel., 1910-07-27
RUSSIA THREATENS
FIHLAND'S FINISH

st. Petersburg, July 26.-The alb
sorption of Finland by Russia was
one of those tragedies of high poll
| tics which was sad but inevitable.
The best interests OF the empire re-
quired the elimination of the ancient
grand duchy as a semi-independent
entity
The point with Russia is that she
considers herself vulnerable at her
Finnish frontier and wishes to be in
a position to take what measures she
! thinks best for the protection Of the
| Russian empire as a whole.
But Russia has rather spoiled her
case in the eyes of outsiders by prac-
| ticaIly following the lead of the wolf
/ in the fable, who accused the lamb
of muddying the water
For example, a great deal of excite
| ment was worked up recently over
the alleged conspiracy of the Firms
to smuggle arms into the country.
| The facts are these: one or two
! Finnish firms tried to evade the pro-
/ hibition against the saloon guns. and
| air guns We're smuggled into the
country, together with few million
cartridges.
This was part of great Finnish
]
OF skins Of all animals exported ev-
cry year from Finland more than ac-
counts. to an unbiased person for the
cartridges and rifles imported
One other great i'm favor of Rus
sia's action is the general tendency
in Europe toward the gradual swal-
lowing up of small states but # is
not to be expected that the small
states will submit without strug-
gle.
This is particularly hard lines on
an intensely patriotic people like the
Firms, and they have fought the
ground inch by inch as they have
seen themselves being swallowed up
by Russia.
Since the present czar came to the
throne the Russian government has
been particularly determined in its
onslaughts. and in 1899 they sent to
Finland, as governor general, Bob
rikoff. an implacable enemy of Fin
nish liberty.
He was an overbearing officer who
had risen from the ranks, and he was
so cordially hated by the Firms that
when he took a walk in the street
; any Finn who saw him coming
promptly crossed to the other side
cert got up for charitable purposes,
and though the Firms bought up all
the tickets, not one of them attended
! He caused the Finnish postage stamps
) to be abolished and ordered the use
of Russian stamps instead.
To meet this the Firms issued a
mourning stamp" all black except
the arms of Finland i'm red. and stuck
II on their letters beside the compul.
sorry Russian stamp. The Russian
government deprived the Firms of ev-
en- this small satisfaction; the sale OF
the stamps was forbidden and all let,
ters bearing It We're destroyed.
One of the Finnish senators whC
, had supported the designs of Russia
was refused apartments in the prin.
cipal hotels at Helsingfors, the Fin
nish capital By the indiscretion OF
porter he secured rooms in one
hotel. When the manager discovered
r who his guest was he asked him tC
+ leave at once, but this the senator
= refused to do. As a result the public
10 boyCotted the hotel and it was prac
tiCally ruined.
Several petitions and deputation
We're sent to the czar. but the deputa
= tions he refused to see and the pgti
tions were ignored. The crash cam,
when young man of good family
and education assassinated Genera
E Bobrkoff
! Even this terrible affair did MOI
stay Russia's hand and the RussifC Il,
! tion has gone on more sternly thar
ever. During the recent debate, the
: opposition. realizing that they haC
? no chance for fair discussion with
+ drew from the duma, leaving the gov
g ernment a free hand. As result
thirteen complicated classes wer,
passed in twelve minutes and tn,
final reading taken.
F When the result was declared, ont
J of the most determined Of the gov
. ernment party sprang to his fee
shouting triumphantly, "Finis Fin
e landiae. .'-"The Finish OF Fin
: land