The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1918-06-27
FINNISH COLONY
EVIDENCES LOYALTY

The loyalty of Hood Rivers Finnish
colony, families of which reside on
ranches noted for their evidence of
progressive methods, is shown by sons
in the service. Five men, as follows,
are already in the service: Arvo and
William Hukari, Toivo and Waino An
nala and Elmo Jakku. A. A. Hukari
left Tuesday with national army
quota for Camp Lewis.
The members of the Finnish colony
follow with interest the struggle be-
tween the white Guard" and the
Red Guard" in their native land.
Faith is placed in the ultimate triumph
of the latter over the white Guard, :"
characterized as hired thugs and strike
breakers, who are armed by German
weapons and officered by Finnish
Chasseurs, who are trained in the
army of the kaiser
In explanation of the struggle in the
homeland, the following communca-
ton, written by Santeri Nuorteva, rep
resentative in the United States of the
Peoples Republic of Finland, to Fin
nish paper, was submitted to the Gla-
cier:
There seems to be considerable mis-
apprehension about the significance of
so called White Guard and "Red
Guard" struggles in Finland and hope
you Will grant me, as representative of
the government of the Peoples Repub-
lie of Finland, the courtesy of your
columns to make clear certain aspects
of the situation there. Our govern
ment has been temporarily defeated by
the Finnish aristocracy IN conjunction
with the German army. But the fight
is not ended. The great majority of
the Finnish people awaits the first op-
portunity to drive out the German in
vaders, and the day of reckoning will
come soon.
1t is impossible to understand events
in Finland without considering the So
cal and political background. Up to
1908 there was no popular representa-
tive in the government. The great
mass of the people were totally with
out political rights. Under the old
feudal constitution most of the produc-
ing population were in a condition of
virtual serfdom. Tenant farmers were
toillbSliCu W SlClu llle WtdIlHy ONtT-
lords payment in labor The inherited
Swedish speaking aristocracy. with
feudal class privileges, were able to
continue under the old constitution
medieval forms Of oppression.
In spite of this the Finnish people
are probably the most literate in the
world. Ninety-eight per cent of the
population can read and write. A
popular culture has grown up as part
of the labor movement, along with a
strong cooperative organization which
is vital in the life of the people. In
Finland. AS in most of the Russian
border provinces, the labor movement
has come to the fore as the only organ
lied force opposed to and seeking tC
crush the feudal system of privilege.
The revolution of 1905 established a
single diet in Finland, based on uni
versal male and female suffrage, with
proportional representation. In the
first diet elected under this democratic
franchise the Socialists secured 40 per
cent of the members, by far the
largest block among the various par
ties. This strength was increased in
successive elections, and in 1916, the
last legal election, the labor party Sc
cured a clear majority in the diet.
Most of the laws designed to relieve