New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-07-06

touch with the Russian movement, ana en-
rbasized the fact that Finnish freedom
was dependent upon Russian. But since
then the Finnish political leaders grew more
and more Indifferent or antagonlsue 10 'he
Russian struggle, and il was at TINS momeh /.
that the German socialism was INTRODUCED
in Finland with secret propaganda Tor the
nolicv Of the Kaiser The German merchants
oncned their branches in Finland, and the
German tourists swarmed by the thousands
annually TO the Land of a Thousand Lakes
The result was that German became the sec
ond most important language in the schools
and society, and young Firms went TO Ter
many to study.
The Swedish Influence
Finland. before il came under the Russian
rule. was governed by Sweden. That Is inc
reason why the Finnish nobility and business
men have remained to a certain extent o"eu-
ish. With the awakening of the Finnish ma
tional consciousness in the latter part OF the
last century there came also bitter hgnt
against the Swedish language and Swedlsh
culture in Finland. which lasted till Russia
began the oppressive policy. The rims ana
Swedes then Joined hands and began TO hgnt
the Russian influence. 1t was through the
Swedish channels that the German policies
were introduced.
While the Firms remained antagonlstc 70
the Swedes and the Russians and trendly
TO the Germans, the Esthonans, whose IAN
guage resembles so closely the tlnnlsh' tooh
up violent fight against the German lnhu-
ence. For nearly five centuries the German
nobility has remained the economic and locai
politcal master of the Russian Baltic prov
inces, the actual population OF whch con-
sisted in the north, of Esthonlans, IN the
south of Let's. Both these nations had ac-
ouired their national culture, literature ana
art. but. unlike the Firms, they renamed n
part of the Russian Empire. economically ano
politically, but yet part of Germany social
w and secretly. II was through the German
nobility of the Baltic provinces that blsmarcN
and the Kaiser had their grip on the RUSSIAN
court The Esthonians, therefore, telt the
double oppression, that of the Germans anc
the Russians, and they came to the concIu-
sion that the German oppression far SURPASSED
the Russian, which, after all, was only crude
" political. The Esthonians naturally joined
hands with the Russians, and gave many
Of the most daring reyolutionists to the kus p
sian cause. When the war started all Es-
thonians rallied enthusiastically to the Rus
sian flag to fight against the Germans. Now.
were forced TO fight the Germans, the Firms
showed no sympathy for them. The Flnns
hardly cared to take any part IN Estnon-
ian national affairs and struggles and that
has made the Esthonians bitter to the former,
which is a clear proof of the shortsightedness
Of the Finnish political leaders
Russias Policy
Since the Firms know so little of the Russian
racial character and soul, the question arises
Can republican Russia tolerate such an
independent neghbor right under the very
gates of its capital, especially when the Ger
man policies and interests are being propa-
gated so vigorously? Somewhat similar to the
attitude of the United States to Cuba is that
of free Russia to Finland. As this coun-
try could not tolerate the Cubans beng
made Germans, economically end politically
thus free Russia is blind to permit Finland
TO become a province of Germany so close 70
the heart of its national organism. The
fundamental policy of free Russia must DC
tolerance to all the nationalities inhabiting
the provinces of the territory, yet at the
same time it could not tolerate an absolute
independence of any of those nationalist
croups. Like the states of this country, thus
Finland. Esthonia, Poland, Courland, Armenia
and Lithuania should form a part IN the al
Russian federation and should have their local
self-governments. Any other way would be
detrimental TO the prestige and economic
unity of republican United States or Russia
New York, July 3, 1917.