Omaha daily bee., 1917-11-17
The Case of Finland
By Frederic !. Hnskin

Washington, Nov. 15.-Finand is the latest
country to step upon the stage of the current
world drama. This bit of Scandinavia on the
edge of the arctic circle, which had been strug-
| Cling for quarter OF century to maintain a
separate existence against the expressions of I'M
! perial Russia, seems to have taken advantage of
| the revolution to assert its complete indpen-
| dence. 1t is reported that the Russian governor
has been deposed and sailor named Schieks
placed at the head of the state, while the Finnish
Diet has convened without the Russian members.
Rumors that Germany has taken Helsingfors, the
capital, are denied At the same time the case
Of Finland is brought home to the American
people by a message from a member of the Diet
that unless help comes from the United States,
the Finnish people will starve, as their crops have
failed.
If Finland should in fact succeed in setting up
an independent government, it will be triumph
for one of the most stubborn struggles for lib
erty that was ever made. 1t will also be Sc
rious blow to Russia if all connection with that
country is severed, for Finland is Russia's point
of contact with the northern Baltic.
Finland was once part of Sweden, but was
taken by Russia in 1909. The Fjnns fought stub
bornly, and when their army had been driven into
the northern part of their country, they harassed
the Russians with savage guerrilla warfare.
Revolution in Sweden, however, resulted in the
cession of Finland to Russia and Gar Alexander
placated the Firms by guaranteeing to them the
autonomy of their government. Their constitu-
ton was kept in force, and a representative Diet
passed upon all laws for the government of the
country. Finland for 90 years remained con-
tented and progressive part of Russia.
All this time the reactonares in Russia had
been working for more complete incorporation
of Finland in the Russian empire and in 1899 they
succeeded. Bobrikoff, panslavist of brutal and
tyrannical temper, was appointed governor, and
Immediately set about the Russianzation of the
Finnish army. Then, in the same year, mani
festo was issued by the czar, which took almost
all of the power away from the Finnish Diet and
gave it to the imperial government The Firms
protested against this measure in a petition
signed by over half million people, which num-
Der included majority of all the adults in Fin
land. The petition was circulated by runners on
snowshoes, who penetrated even into the regions
beyond the arctic circle. To this unified demand
Of whole people for their rights the czar re-
fused to give hearing.
Meantime Bobrikoff was instituting reign Of
espionage and bullying. with view to breaking
the temper of the people. He filled the country
with his spies, some of whom Travelled among the
people disguised as peddlers, while others we're
servants in Finnish families. Men of intellect
and influence were prosecuted and exiled. Cos
sacks were domiciled upon the people, and were
One young Finn, Eugen Schauman, freed his
country of this oppressor unaded. He shot
Bobrikoff with revolver as the governor was
enterieg the senate house, and then Immediately
took his own life. ~.
The new governor was more conciliatory, and
the Finnish people backed up Schauman's sacr-
fee by declaring a general strike. The car was
compelled to revoke the decree of 1899, and the
Diet was again convened Under a new Diet law,
which gave the vote to every man, woman and
child in the nation. Twenty-Five women were
elected to sit in the first Parliament under this
law. Thus Finland was the first country to adopt
woman suffrage, and the first to give women a
place in its law-making body.
This era Of freedom was short-lived, for the
autocratic powers which dominated Russia, and
brought on by their excesses the present revolu-
ton, could not tolerate an autonomous govern
ment in Finland. Reactionaries in the Duma de-
manded to know whether or not Russian author
ity extended to Finland. To this Stolypin re-
Piled in the characteristic language of the divine
right autocracies that the autonomy OF Finland
was not a right but spontaneous gift OF the
car, which could be Withdrawn If 1t was mis-
used. He said that Russian Interests" must be
made to prevail in Finland
Myukoff defended Finland's right to an
autonomous government, but without success. In
1908 the czar again took all power away from
the Finnish Diet by a manifesto which provided
that all Finnish questions should be laid before
the Russian ministerial council. This was vio-
laton of the Finnish constitution, but when the
speaker of the Diet attacked it in his opening
speech, the Diet was dissolved.
Since that date until the revolution broke out
in Russia, the history of Finland has been that of
suen, passive resistance on the part of the
people to the process OF Russianzation. In 1910
the car issued another manifesto taking away
from the Diet the shreds of power that remained
to it. The Firms protested in another petition
which got no more attention than the first. The
contributions of Finland to the military expenses
of the Russian empire were more than doubled.
car, became mere tool of the Russian reac-
tionaries. t@s.r.
The fate of Finland as of many other small
nations depends upon the outcome of the war,
and upon the sincerity of the great powers, nearly
all of which have announced the rights of small
nations" as one of the things they are fighting
for.