Evening star., 1918-06-30
FINLAND Of TODAY
SLUMBER|NG VOLCANO
Bitterest Glass Hatred Exists.
Reds Are Held in Firm
Grip.
BY BASSEI"r DIGBY.
Cablegram to The Sunday Star and
Chicago Daily News. Copyright, 1918.

Chicago Daily News. Copylght, 1918.
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN. June "a
Outwardly Finland is quiet. but in
reality the country is a slumbering
volcano, as the bitterest class hatred
prevails. Vanquished reds, mainly
convicts. are occupied on public
works guarded by bayonet. or they
are refugees in the forests or in cities
remote from their homes. The reds
and their families are going about
with clenched teeth. thinking of their
buried rifles, dynamite and machine
guns and biding~t time of revenge,
Authenticated accounts of the atroc:-
ties committed by the whites. includ-
ing frightful rolls of prisoners mur-
dered, continue to percolate into
Sweden.
Directs Army of Spies.
The Finnish government has estab-
lished a secret police, with headquar-
ters in Helsingfors. modelled after
that of Russia in reactionary days.
This organization, (which is called
"okohrania," is directing an army of
spies who are subjecting the country
to a reign of terror. 1t specialZes in
grilling the relatives of the reds who
escaped arrest. Large numbers of
these are hiding in the forests in a
state of semi-starvation, existing on
fish and birds and creeping to farm
houses at nightfall to beg for food.
Farm workers are tempted by large
rewards to betray these forest refu-
gees. Even the wives at home are
shot on the flimsiest circumstantial
evidence.
seizes Paper Money.
The diet has seized all the paper
money issued by the red government.
The bourgeois, forewarned, had time
to exchange their holdings, which
was unloaded on the working people
who thus. in countless cases. lost all
their scant savings. The government
has promised to substitute real money,
but there are no signs that 1t will
ever keep it's promise. The bitterness
caused by this may readily be judged.
Newspaper attacks on the entente
continue a prominent feature. They
are evidently inspired by the govern
ment: The leading government organ.
the Huvndstadsbladet. directs this
campaign. There are few govern
America as Finiands enemy If they
deny some of the grosser lies 1t is
only to follow them up with another
crop of accusations in which the en-
tente countries are charged with re-
sponsibility for attempted revolutions
or intrigues.
Stand Of Gen. Mannerhe elm.
Much curiosity is expressed in Scan
dinavia as to what lies behind Gen.
Mannerheim's return a few days ago
to Stockholm from Finland. He GER
tainly is no friend of the bolsheviki,
but he is almost equally opposed to
the Germanization of Finland What
the Finnish factions opposed to the
monarchy most need is strong pop
ular leader and it is by no means
unlikely that Gen. Mannerheim is
destined to fill that role 1t is prov
ing extremely difficult to foist the
monarchical proposition upon the ma
ton, though white-hot political
campaign Is being waged for it. Signs
are not lacking that the monarchists
are deliberately depressing the reds
in order to scare public opinion into
supporting a monarchy as the only
insurance against another revolution.
Republicans, on the other hand be-
lieve it possible by kind treatment
and generous fraternity to heal the
wounds and bind all factions together,
The national, league is determined to
cooperate to bring about a brighter
epoch of freedom. It's motto is "Fin-
land for the Finns," with deyelop-
ment unmenaced by foreign interfer-
enCe. i