Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-07
SPEEDY DEATH
FROM HUNGER
FACES FINLAND
Lack of Flour and Other
FoodStuffs Constitutes Ser
ious Menace to Nation

New York, Dec, 7.-Speedy death
from hunger threatens the greater
part of the population of Finland un-
less they can obtain flour from the
United States, asserts DR., Kaarlo Ig-
natius, Commissioner of the Finnish
government for negotiating the re-
lease of fooodstuffs by the United
States government, in statement to
The Associated Press, The threat to
Finland is not privation or even
chronic starvation, he declares, Con-
cerning Finlands needs and Its
causes, DR., Ignatius said;
In regard to food supply, Fin
land is worse off than any OF the
European states whose suflerings
have been brought before the Amer
lean public, For months past, our
people have been eating bread made
out of flour mixed with pinebark
and lichens; but even with this en-
pedient we cannot hold out, as the
Hour reserve virtually is exhausted,
ana even our hardy pOp'IL, .D.l Slh-
not eat unmiNed bark,
THE sufferings endured In the
summer were terrible; and since l
left Finland in September they have
become much worse. Nothing can
ant f.NtA saA
by the American Government of the
flour which we have already ordered
and paid for in the United States,
Never Self-Supporting
FINLAND has never been Self-Sup-
porting as regards food. Her three
and a half millions of people scat
tered over 37S,U0U square tIlomerers
of territory, have depended largely
upon foreign supplies of grain, in
exchange for which they exported
forestry products, Before the war,
we imported annually about 100000
ions of breadstuffs; and OF these
about $4,000 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
service became disorganized, the i'm
port from Russia ceased also. Then
starvation began.
"All l want is the release OF
enough -four 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 tho
future,
"As regards the past, we are only
asking for payment for services al
ready rendered to the Alli,.S. These
services have been of great value.
Finland Loyalty helped Russia rs
long as Russia was fighting. and she
is willing to help in future II Russia
resumes fighting.
Finland Is Loyal
During the wars Finland has
been absolutely loyal. This in the
face of great provocation by the
now extinct autocracy. In Sep
tember, 1914, in return for Finnish
expressions of loyalty, Nicholas IL
issued a decree further suppress
ing the Finnish language and
abolishing what little was left of
our Constitution. Yet we remain
ed loyal. We mobilized our indus
tries on a war basis with \ thor
oughness and efficiency which have
been acknowledged repeatedly by
the Petrograd government.
IAN our cities, in particular Hell
singfors, Tammerfors, and Abo at
once became munitions workshops.
They supplied Russia with uniforms,
boots, leather floods, shells, cart
ridges and machine guns. In our
ports we built destroyers and torpedo
boats. The former Minister of War,
General Polivanoff, informed news
paper correspondent that Finland 5
war industries were flourishing and
were a model to Russia.
Those ar-industries, important
factors in Russia's resistance, proved
TO be one cause of our present la
mentable plight, and that is why we
cite them as a reason why America
should help US now. Under normal
conditions, we should have be III paid
Tor our munitions in Russiln money
;mG allowed with this Russi.,r money
tl import Russian and fore IN Hood
stuffs. In fact, we were flooded with
Russian paper rubles; but were