The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-06-20
DISPOSAL OF EAST KARELIA IS
 PUzzLINC THE FINNISH LEADERS

The American press has frequently connection with battles which have taken place on the Archangel front. Further mention has been made in t::e discussions concerning the annex ation of East Karelia to Finland. No doubt many readers have made men, tai inquiry on why Finland hopes that the peace conference will award the so-called East Kare1ia to her. As an answer to the above question the fol- lowing brief summary of the histor- ical phases and an explanation of the ethnic conditions of this little known corner of the earth may be of timely interest.
 The territory inhabited by the Films prior to the rise of the Russian empire, comprised all the regions ad- jacent to Lake Ladoga Lake Omega and the White Sea, and as far north as the Arctic Ocean. On the south this territory was bounded by the
 Gulf of Finland. About 200 years before Christ, the Films moved from central Russia. to these northern re- gions where game was plentiful. Later when the Slavs began to move from the region of the Carpathian IIlOunJdln to Ine north, they came
 into contact with the Finnish tribes
 As a larger and more powerful race,
 the Slavs began to conquer the lands held by the Films, founded the city
 of Novgorod as a capital, and con- ttnued their conquests for the Films
 had in their control important trad ing centres. Those leading centers and lands abounding in game were very much coveted by the Russians. Already about A D. s60, they had re- duced to their power certain viIlag ges
 in East Karelia, and from then on ex-
 petitions of robbery were carried on
 still farther, to the regions of Lake Ladoga and Lake Omega and to the strip between Lake Ladoga and the Gulf of Finland and to the shores of the White Sea on the north. In the year 1265 Karelia had not been finally | conquered and it did not belong to the domains of Novgorod. Prior to
 this, however, efforts had been made | to convert the Karelians to the Greek | Catholic faith, with the idea that | these Films could then be reduced to | the subjection of the Slavs more cas- | fly. However about the same time, | the Swedes were conducting their
 work of converting the Films from
 the west, in this way extending her power further and further to the
 east This made Karelia a bone of | contention between Sweden and Rus | sia. After many wars and continual | raids from both sides a treaty ot | peace was concluded by these two na- l tions at Pahkinalinna in 1923, by the terms of which Karelia, the land in- | habited by Films, was divided by | these foreign powers the entire west
 ern shore of Ladoga and the regions | of the east and north were awarded | to Russia. In this way the freedom
 and independence of the Kare1ians i was ended. In the 18th century these | Films were made still more dependent | on the mighty empire of Novgorod which had first treated them as vas-
 sals but later as subjects, liable tc
 taxation. Dissatisfied with their treat
 ment the Karelians rose in revolt sew
 eral times in behalf of their freedom but each time they were suppressed l in incfpiency. These desperate at.
 tempts at self-lfberations show thai the Karelians did not accept the for. | eign oppression without struggle
 The boundary lines provided by the peace of Pahktnalinna were not re- spected and the other provisions con