The sun., 1919-02-12
IN DESOLATE LAPLAND.
A Plea to Recall Our Troops From
the Thurman Wastes.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Str. /
want to make a plea through THE SUS
for our boys that have practically been
sentenced to death by being sent to
Lapland to fight the Films and Lapps
in their own miserable country.
The country Is a fat, swampy stretch
OF forest. There are hardly any roads,
only trails that are used in winter when
frosen. and are impossible mud holes in
summer. No water In winter. all water
In summer. The temperature In winter
as cold as Greenland. in summer as hot
As Newark. except for the cool mist that
rises when tho sun Is low in the west.
No cities or towns only log huts In
small groups. About three hours OF
daylight in winter and no night In sum-
mer. Myriads OF mosquitoes. gnats and
black flies everywhere.
To drink tho water In winter, which
Is obtained by melting snow. L. not so
dangerous, but In summer the swampy
water " so full OF decaysd vegetation
that for foreigner to drink 1t means
serious trouble,
The natives OF Lap,and are a print
tive people. living on fish in summer and
dried fish and reindeer meat in winter.
They are a hardy race Of hunters and
fishermen. They count their wealth BY
the number OF reindser that they own.
Tho favorits language of the country
Is Swedish. although the Russian Gov
| eminent has for over eighty years tried
by every means to forcs them to speak
| Russian. The Films have been OPP
pressed and abused second only to the
| Armenians, and yet they long for free
| dom and independence. have had a
| Laplander show me how strong an arm
he had and say. II am an old man, but
| that arm of mine will yet strike down q
| Russian"
| The Films were never allowed any
| firearms OF any kind by the Russian
| Government. and the only weapon that
| they use Is the broadaxe. With 1t they
! make arrows. build houses. cat up meat
and kill the huge brown bear.
| According to reports from Arcfangel
they have mutilated some of our men
| with axes. That to me would indicate
! that the Films and Lapps are lighting
with axes against our troops Our hall
| frozen. benumoed soldiers would be easy
prey for the Laplander armed with an
axe II ambushed or surprised during
those endless bitter winter nights,
| When the revolution broke OUT IN
Petrograd one OF the first things that
happened was the destruction OF the
railroad bridge over the Neva. That
probably was done by some Finnish pa
| ,riot, for 1t cut Finland and the Finnish
city Of vlborg of from aussia, but left
the Archangel railroad ard the new rail-
road up to the Arctic Ocean intact The
l 81 call
a republic and invited the Germans to
come across the Baltic from Riga to
help them drive the hated Russian rul.
ers out OF Finland
The railroad running north 10 the Arc
tic Ocean was recently built by for
eign country under Russian conces.
sion; this road. owned and operated by
foreigners. was captured by the Firms
Only the northern end OF this railroad
at tho Arctic Ocean remained In con.
troll Of the owners. and to rescue this
property nearly SIX thousand OF oui
brave troops that enlisted to make ths
world safe for democracy were sent
along with about as many British troops
to the Arctic terminal and to Archauge
to fight the Films. who are Struggling
for their Independence and fighting &c
drive their oppressors. the Russians. Out
Of their Godforsaken country.
The bald fact remains that there 1,
nothing In the whole OF Lapland. not q
village. not an ideal, not a railroad, ever
II owned by Americans (Which II is mott
that Is worth the sacrifice.
Having been in that country in tn
winter it all comes back to me. and al
can do Is to pray for our boys ant
} plead for them. II the American peopI,
} can only be made to appreciate the foil,
J and injustice and mercenary character
J OF the Archangel campaign our brav,
boys will be rescued.
Our boys cannot he got out OF tina
country till the ice breaks up in May
but their lives may be saved II tn,
; lighting can be stopped by diplomacy.
JAMES NJ SEYMOUR
NuwAHK N, T. February 10