The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-12-08
STARVATION IS
ACTUAL Mem ACE
IN FINLAND SAYS
COMMISSIO N Err
Nothing Can Save People
But Prompt Release of
American Flour
CLAIMS COUNTRY
HAS BEEN LOYAL
Cities Have Been Turned
Into Munitions Work
shops For Russia

from hunger threatens the greater
part Of the population Of Finland UNI
less they can obtain -four from the
United States, asserts DR.. Kaarlo
Ignatius, commissioner Of the Fin
nish government for negotiating the
release Of foodstuffs by the United
States government in a statement to
The Associated Press. The threat to
Finland Is not privation or even
chronic starvation, he declares. Con-
corning Finlands needs and its
causes, DR.. Ignatius said:
I'm regard to food supply, Finland
IS worse off than any Of the European
states whose sufferings have been
brought before the American public.
For months past, our people have
been eating bread made out of flour
mixed with pinebark and lichens; but
even with this expedient we cannot
hold out. as the -four reserve virtual
IL is exhausted, and even our hardy
population cannot eat unmixed bark.
SUfferings Terrible.
''The sufferings endured in the
summer were terrible; and since l
left Finland In September they have
become much worse. Nothing can
save US except the prompt release by
the American government Of the
-four which we have already ordered
and paid for in the United States.
FINLAND has never been self-sup-
porting as regards food. Her three
and q half millions Of people scat
tered over $4,000 square kilometres
OF territory, have depended largely
upon foreign supplies of grain, in ex-
change for which they exported
forestry products. Before the war, we
imported annually about 100000 tons
OF brsadstuffs; and Of these about
10000 tons came from the United
States. The rest came from Russia.
With war, the import from America
ceased and as Russia's own food
troubles grew and her railroad SER
vice became disorganized, the import
from Russia ceased also. Then star
walton began.
''All want is the release Of enough
flour to save US from death and
hunger. Privation we have stood and
are willing to stand. We ask for this
concession and we base our demand
upon Justice as regards the past and
upon policy as regards the future.
"As regards the past, we are only
asking for payment for services al
ready rendered to the Allies. These
services have been Of great value.
Finland loyalty helped Russia as long
as Russia was fighting, and she is
willing TO help in the future If Russia
resumes fighting.
Finland Loyal.
During the war, Finland has been
absolutely loyal This in the face Of
great provocation by the now-extinct
autocracy. In September 1914, in re-
turn for Finnish expressions of 10y
a1ty, Nicholas II issued a decree
further suppressing the Finnish
language and abolishing what little
was left Of our constitution. Yet we
remained loyal. We modified our
Industries on a war basis with a
thoroughness and efficiency which
have been acknowledged repeatedly
by the Petrograd government.
All our cities, in particular Hels-
fngfors, Tammerfors, and Abo at
once became munitions workshops.
They supplied Russia with uniforms,
boots. leather goods, shells, cart
ridges, and machine guns. In our
ports we built destroyers and torpedo
boats. The former minister of war,
General PoIivanoff, informed a news
paper correspondent that Finland's
war industries were fiourishing and
we're g model to Russia.
These war-industries, important
factors In Russia's resistance, proved
20 be one cause Of our present
Iamentable plight, and that is why
we cite them as a reason why Am
prica should help us now. Under
normal conditions, we should have
been paid for our munitions in Rus
sian money and allowed with this
Russian money to import Russian
were flooded with Russian paper
Tubles: but were not allowed to buy
m9cessaries Of life either in Russia or
abroad. We got so far as to order
breadstuffs in Russia; we even paid
for them In advance; and the pro-
wigional government promised to all
low their export to us: but owing to
transport disorganization we got
nothing. Thus we suffered directly
from our help TO Russia. II we had
not concentrated on munitions max
ing, we might have diverted our in
dustrial labor into agricultural chan
nels, and conditions would not have
been quite so bad as they are.
Supported Russia.
we supported Russia in other
ways. AS long as we could, we sent
her milk and butter. We supported
81 vast Russian naval and military
garrison, which alone adds a big per-
eentage to our population figure, and
we support an innumerable army
estimated at 200,000-of civilian
Russians; and thus relieve the food
strain in Russia
Justice demands that we should
not be punished for our past sacri-
fees. Policy demands that we should
be ensured against starvation in fu-
ture. Our war industries are still
modified; they are highly efficient;
and IL Russia continues the war, we
can give her greater help than she
can expect from her own inefficient
and anarchical industries. But this
win be possible only IL we have the
necessary food. The Allies cannot
expect hungry artisans, whose wives
and children are perishing, to keep
I'd munitions work.
"Our population is not pro German.
10 was, ] admt9 anti-Russian, or
rather anti -autocTacy. 1t has always
been devoted to America, England
and France, from which countries in
our darkest hour we received SYM
rathy and moral support. have
myself always championed the
Allies cause at home; and I do not
desire to see my hungry fellow
countrymen throwing themselves in
despair into Germany's hands. In
order to gain Scandinavian support,
Germany a month ago ostentatiousIy
sold breadstuffs to Sweden. Prob
ably she would do the same to Fin
land, but that is not the kind Of help
we want
we want help from the Allies
which ia this case means help from
America and we are confident that
shall get it".
q bill has been introduced in con-
to draft all idle men. rich
poor between rs and SO years OF
~9& AsMesaf @uhfnv affaam