New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-07
Geo. TheslOf Made Race
for Life from Russia
in Open Boat.
PAIR OUTWITTED
SECRET POLICE
One Escaped Into This Country
and Says Finland and Sweden
Will Aid Germany.

Finn, sat in his brother Jeans drawing
room in the Metropolitan Opera House
apartment yesterday afternoon, and in
an unaffected and simple manner told
how he aided another brother, Costa,
escape the domination of Russian mill
tarsm. The Theslofs are old in Fin
land, and the family has long been
identified with the country's dream of
liberty.
Costa Theslof, formerly head of the
General staff in Finland, had no wish
to serve with Russia in the present
war. Petrograd feared him as the fore
front of a possible revolution. The
authorities sought him in Helsingfors,
70 throw him into the fortress at Svea-
borg, and he was forced to flee to Nor
way, where he is now. He is under sem
tence of death if captured, and his
mother and sister have been prosecuted
by the Russian authorities.
81 was in Moscow when II all began"
said George Theslof. He arrived only
yesterday from Boston. and is visiting
his brother Jean, the singer For
merly | managed the Finnish Tele-
graphic News Agency at Helsingfors,
but when the war broke out the CEN
sorship became so strict that / could
do nothing" ne continued in excellent
English. 81 went to Moscow to study
Russian, and while | was there | heard
that secret agents from Petersburg
were seeking my brother Costa in Hell
singfors. hurried 70 the Finnish cap
ital and we took the train, and then
travelled by carriage to a tiny port
north even Of Uleaborg After that we
got over TO Sweden and then into Nor
way"
That was all he said about it, but as
matter Of fact he and his brother
Costa, disguised i'm the rough clothes
of fishermen, slipped out of the little
harbor in Lapland one night in an open
boat and crossed the Gulf Of Bothnia
in a stormy sea. finally reaching Lulea.
on the Swedish side. Costa Theslof
went on into Norway. George parted
from him, continued down to Stock
holm, over the peninsula to Gottenburg,
took ship for Harwich and went TO
London, where many mistook him for a
German spy. He tired OF this and went
TO Hastings, one of the English Channel
resorts, but here, too, the British were
so sure he was a German that he had
TO leave the country, sailing from
Liverpool to Boston.
lie was far more willing 20 talk Of
Finland than Of himself yesterday.
Don't place too much credence in
tinland's having a chance for auton-
cmy If she has TO obtain 10 from Rus
sia," he said. THE Russian govern
ment has suppressed all the Socialist
Democrat newspapers, has cut off the
telephone service. has forbidden. not
alone all automobile and carriage
traffic, but will not even allow the
people TO ride bicycles on the roads
| heard in Sweden that the president
Of the Finnish Parliament, who had
repeatedly been reelected had been
sent to Siberia. Finnish officers are
compelled TO serve in the Russian
army. which is badly underofiicered.
In Moscow | saw a whole battalion
commanded by sub-lieutenant. Fin
land has no more chance of gaining
independence from Russia than Poland
has
Germany would grant both auton-
omy, ! was told by the former Ger
man Consul General at Helsngfors,
whom ] met in Stockholm. He told
ne Germany wanted them as buffer
states we don't want all Russia,
he said to me. we won't make Napo-
Icons mistake of going to Moscow.
All we want is Poland and more terri
tory on the Baltic, and perhaps St.
Petersburg"
Swedish sympathy, said Mr.. Theslof,
is with Germany, and he cited the Kali
ser's employment of Sven Hedin, a
leader in the Conservative party, as a
publicity agent.
"The Conservative party is COM
mitted to national defence against
Russia. anyway" he said. Russia,
YOU know, has constructed railroads
leading to Wasa, in Finland, with no
other idea than of troop transport TO
I'mea, in Sweden. The gulf Is very
narrow there-not more than seventy
miles between Wasa and Umea. Small
islands off both ports make the land
distances not more than twenty miles.
a. Roden. the powerful Swedish fort
rcss. soldiers are modified, and are
openly talking of invading Finland.
They expect TO go in the spring. Nor
way. too, is with Germany, because
of her fear of Russia, and also Den
mark"