Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1918-08-29
B0LSHEWSTS JOIN WITH
BOURGEOIS IN FINLAND
From the Literary Digest.

NAOLt NIS LlSiuI AClSSoSs
Finland is now free from the hated
rule of Russia, and almost at perfect
liberty to chose between accepting a
king named by Berlin or o German
minister resident who will tell their
government what to do. Berlin has not
yet decided which the Films shall Sc
lect. Meantime, they are in another
dilemma. 1t will be recalled that the
Germans entered Finland in support Of
the White guards, the anti-Russian
section of the Finnish population which
was engaged in civil war with the
Red guard, or radical element, which
was pro- Russian. The result has been
a decisive victory for the White guard,
which represents the bourgeois ele-
ment. o that the b~olshevists are
heart and soul with the Germans, we
have this comic-opera situation. As
one editor puts it, The bolshevist ele-
ment IN Russia Is capable of strange
logic, but it would seem a very re-
markable partnership for the bolshevfst
Russian to join hands with the bour-
geols Finn to help the autocratic Ger
man beat the democratic allies" But
this is Just exactly what has happened
on the Thurman coast, where the Rus
slams and Firms are engaged in occas-
lonal conflicts with the American, Brit
ish and French forces stationed in
that Rretic region. Touring to the po-
litical side of the enigma, one thing
seems to be certain, and that is, that
the Films have bound themselves ir-
revocably to abe Germans by a So
called commercial treaty. 1t is from
the scandinavian papers that we learn
it's serms. The Bergens Aftonabald
tells us that it includes the following:
FINLAND shall. during 20 years, be
under the economic control of Ger
many. One hundred thousand Films
are to be at h disposal of Germany
should Russia recommence war. Ger
many, on her part, is to invest capital
in a humble of Finnish Industrial con-
Germs. preference being given to those
which produce articles for export to
Russia. German officers shall be fur
nished as teachers in the Finnish mili-
tary colleges"
h London Telegraph quotes a let
ter from one of it's correspondents in
Sweden who, after describing the seri-
u o shortage there. goes on to
say:
with regard to the Germans, it is
estimated that there are some 25, 1000
to 10000 German troops in Finland,
most of whom are from the Italian
front. For the most part the Germans
are maintaining what may be described
as a correct attitude; in fact, much
more correct than some OF the pro-
German Films. So much is his the
case that the people OF Finland as q
whole do not understand what is the
German game.
"The Germans are largely leaving
affairs of administration in the hands
OF the White Or Finnish government,
but, at the same time. they are pur-
suing a policy of commercial penetra-
tion which needs close watching. They
have secured control of copper. zinc,
lead, and other metals, leather. cotton
goods. sewing cotton, and, among 9th
er things. 100000 pieces of a Ger
man soldiers in H%elsingfors saw that
they have not seen any soar for two
years. The immediate result of all this
Is that h Finnish population can get
nothing whatever of these articles.
For purposes Of their own which are
not quite clear to h ordinary mind.
the Germans are warning the Firms
that one day Russia will again be a
great nation, and will resent any action
of Finland in annexing Russian terri
tories, including Karelia, without per-
mission. In short, the policy Of the
Germans is a complete mystery to the
Films"