The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1918-03-23
DULUTH SOC IAL|STS
49, TAKE SIDES WITH ALLIES

employed, they commenced openly to
organize the so-called white Guards
(Which in Finland are called the
Butcher Guards"). At the same time
they commenced to offer the Aland
islands to Germany and Sweden and
mastery in Finland in exchange for
aid in crushing down the democratic
elements. The Finlanders in the Ger
man army were called home, and
ammunition, regiments of soldiers,
etc. were sent from Germany into
Finland.
1.-THE proletariat of Finland have
long suffered terrible hunger which
is entirely unknown to the people Of
this country The land does not pro-
duce enough grain to feed it's peo-
pie, and on account of war grain could
not be imported from elsewhere. Re-
CARELESS of this the bourgeoisie trans
ported grain to Sweden and through
there to Germany. The desire was to
starve the democratic elements to
death.
"All these facts led. to the demo-
rise against bourgeoisie in a resolute
manner. There was no other pos
sibility. The suffering and the pa
thence of the people have their limits.
Here is the reason why civil war is
raging in Finland.
1.-THE very latest news dispatches
states that German troops have in
vaded Finland at the behest Of the
Finnish bourgeoisie and that the
of Germany The Finnish bOurgeoisie
have sold their country to the Ger
man junker.
Without justification.
"When Germany invaded Belgium,
the whole world justly condemned
this. BY invading Finland Germany
committed a still greater, a more
serio., crime, for the invasion of Fin
land cannot be defended even by the
pretense that it was a military ne
cessity, by which subterfuge Germany
has apologized it's invasion of Bel
GUM. And it is not mitigated by the
fact that the invasion of Finland was
made. on the demand of the Finnish
1.-THE democratic elements in Fin
land have always hated German junk
erism, realizing that it was danger
Gus, to democracy. But now the in
! to its@highest point on account Of re-
cent events. G Their Indignation has
grown extremely bitter toward the
! bourgeoisie, who shamefully sold their
country in opposing democracy.
! 1.-THE people of Finland are pro-
gressive and democratic. This Is
shown by the: fact that Finland
has full suffrage for women, a
! diet composed of only one chamber,
! a proportional method of election,
ETC. These. rights the people fought
for themselves in 1906 notwithstand-
ing the opposition of their country's
! bourgeoisie.
| Say Reports False.
1--WE. know well the situation in
! Finland, and as false and incomplete
reports of it have been given in news
dispatches, we feel that our duty to-
ward the people Of this country,
| toward humanity and democracy,
command us to tell the plain truth
! We dare to hope that when the peo-
! pie Of this country get the true facts
| of the situation, their sympathies will
be on the side of the democratic ele-
ments of Finland who are fighting
heroica1ly and tenaciously against
domestic reaction and German junk
erism.. We are assured that the peo-
pie can impress upon the govern.
ment Of this country the necessity OF
recognizing the. government of the
Finnish workers, for it is the best
service that can be rendered to de-
nocracy and is a blow to German
junkerisn1.
"In addition we cannot refrain sin
cerely regretting the fact, that there
! are in this country few Finlanders
few Finnish newspapers, that pre-
! tend to be loyal ON the cause OF
! democracy, but fight furiously for the
! pro-German Finnish bourgeoisie and
for German junkerism."