Evening journal., 1918-07-15
The Finland Situation

statement on Finland by Santer
NuOrteva, representative in the United
States Of the Workers government o.
Finland, lthe Red Guard. which has
been driven out by the Germans in al
uance with the "NNhite Guardl
The news that the Finnish "Whltc
Guard" government is about to declar,
war on the Allies or that tho Allies vii
be compelled TO carry on an actual war
fare against the Germany's Flnnisl
"Whito Guard" which with a larg,
army OF their German allies is tryin.
TO occupy the Murman coast, is by nj
| means surprising Several months agC
! pOinted out 10 the United states gov.
ernment and 10 the people OF America
that would be the eventual outcome OF
the situation.
The Finnish iunkers, IN order TO sub
due the majority of the Finnish people,
which was backing the Workers. gov
ernment, invited Germany into Finland
as a natural defender OF oppressive au-
tocratic rule. II appealed to the Fin
nish iunkers. outnumbered by the
awakening people OF Finland, as their
only salvation. But even II the Finnish
iunkers by inviting Germany's help or
iginally did not have I'm mind the fur
therance Of German imperiallstlc aims,
but were primarily interested in the
Of their own class rule,
1t Is perfectly obvious that they could
get German help only on terms OF their
helping Germany. The German junkers
are not altrulsts. They work for their
own imperlalistic purposes.
Finland Is a point Of utmost strategic
importance TO the warfaring nations
The occupation OF the Aland islands by
Germany and German domination Ia
southern and western Finland makes
Germany an undlsputed ruler OF the
Baltic Sea and the adjoining countries,
including Scandinavia. With Germany
entrenched In Finland and on the Aland
Islands Sweden and Denmark are more
than ever made dependent OF Germany.
The greatest interest Of Germany,
however lies In the occupation OF the
kola Peninsula and the s0-called Muir
man coast, as well as East Karelia" be-
tween the White Sea and the Finnish
border. A German controlled Finland
stretching from the Aland Islands in
the East TO the White Sea on the north
east, and TO the Arctic Ocean in the
north, in addition TO Germany's occu-
patton on the kOla Peninsula, will not
only menace the sea lanes Of the Arctic
Ocean, which have become so import
ant during the past few years, but IL
viii menace Norway and the North Sea,
making possible an attack on England
from new angles.
There is no doubt but that the Ger
man imperialists consciously figured out
these advantages when they more than
three years ago entered into an agree
ment with the Finnish reaciionaTies,
encouraging the recruiting Of Firms into
the German army and establishing in
Germany special Finnish battalions TO
be used for the occupation Of Finland.
Such plans were in detail proposed to
Germany by the present dictator Of Fin
land. Mr.. Swinhufvud and agreed upon.
Certainly Mr.. Swinhufvud well deserved
the Iron Cross which was given TO him
by the German Kaiser during his recent
visit in Berlin.
It is a pity that the plain facts Of
the real nature of the Finnish white
Guard" have not been realized in Amer
lea until now. II is a pity that pro-
German propaganda, obviously interest
ed in describing the German interven-
ton in Finland as a work Of civillza-
ton" against the "ansrchlstic rule" OF
the "Red Guard so cleyerly succeeded
in muddling the situation. II the truth
about these things had been understood
a few months ago, the situation today
could have been very different. II the
Finnish Workers government, which did
not represent an unorganized band Of
rovdies. as told by those who were
interested in Germany's domination of
Finland, had been given material sup
port by the Allies at that time, the st
uation today would be vastly different.
have been told that when the Work
ers' Militia Of Finland was being driven
back by the German army, backed by
the Finnish "Whlte Guards" the Fin
nlsh workers made several appeals for
cooperation to the American represen- |
tatlves In Russia, but so far as l know, /
those appeals were left unheeded, /
thanks to the prejudice which was so
,leverly created against them by Ger
nan agents.