The Chitina leader., 1911-02-04
INDEPENDENCE OF FINLAND.

People who live in a confederation
of states. like the United States, will
find it hard to conceive why Finland
refuses to be confederated with the
rest of the Russian states. Although
the Fins have not shown any resist
ance in the way of rebellion, yet
according to the papers the Russian
government is nonplussed by the
passive resistance" it meets in that
Grand Duchy.
The Helsingfors correspondent of
the Manchester Guardian, says that
this form of resistance consists of
the people refusing to pay taxes;
confident that when their goods are
seized and offered for sale to pay
their taxes, the rest of the popula
ton in sympathy with the delin-
quent taxpayers, will refuse to buy.
This correspondent tells us that the
reason why Russia finds difficulty
in assimilating the Duchy is not that
Finland has a romantic and an un-
practical passion for liberty of an
unconstitutional and lawless charac-
ter, or that she wishes to develop
an army and navy of her own, or
that she wishes to annex or be an
nexed by Sweden, but because she
shrinks from being Russianized So
cially, morally and intellectually by
the people of the Gear. She feels
like the head of a pure, happy home,
who receives the news that he is
likely to have some unpleasant peo-
pie billeted on him.
For If Finland is ever confederat-
ed with the rest of Russia she will
eventually have flood of Russian
immigration pouring into her. This
the Finnish leaders protest against.
Finland superiority to Russia is not
so marked that the rest of the world
is commenting on it, but neverthe-
less it is there and it is very real.
To Russianize Finland, says the
Firms, is not to level them up, but
to level them down. A traveller
passing from Finland to the next
Russian town would pass from a
higher to a lower civilization. The
Firms point with pride to their sys-
tenn of national education, which
would do credit to far more wealthy
nation.
They are ;usri1ed in taking the
credit for the energy with which
they have developed the naturally
poor resources of their country. I'm
der the Finnish self-government
trade has developed enormously and
Finnish products are esteemed in ev-
cry market north of the Mediterran-
can. The material wealth of the
country yearly shows enormous ex-
pansion, and the capital and the
principal towns. with handsome and
substantial buildings, all erected
within the last few decades, reflect
on the vastly increased prosperity
of the country. No town in Rus
STA can show such a record growth
as Helsingfors, and this progress is
10 artificial or isolated phenome.
non, but is part general improve
ment in the economic condition OF
the nation.
with a culture as new as that OF
competition with the achievements OF
the Russians in art, literature and
music; but they maintain that the
poorest and most unlettered Finn is
better man, living a fuller and
more dignified life than the Russian
Catherine de Medica. So they will
defy the Russians as long as possible
for they do not want to see their sons
turned into priest-ruled mijiks, the
mizik," SO writes this correspondent
from Helsingfors. Now the Finnish
Protestants, If Finland confederated,
would be under the direct rule Of
Russia, and they would be as badly