The toiler. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1919-1922, 1921-04-16

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"self-determination" of Karelia.
| Their propaganda, however, wal
cut short by revolutionary Russia
which did not speak loudly about
self-determination for Karelia, but
actually realized it.
Soviet Russia DEGREES Self-g0vern'
ment. \
The Russian Soviet government
published, June, z, 1920, a degree
concerning Karelian self-government
And August A, the All-Russian Cen.
trail Executive Committee and Soviet
government officially designated the
plan of frontiers of this new sister
republic of Soviet Russia. Wide self
governing powers were given to the
Karelian toilers in their own ma
tional and economical questions.
This Declaration of Independent
ce" of the Karelian Workers Com
mune by the All-Russian Central
Executive Committee and Soviet gov
ernment, says in part as follows:
"Being in close touch with the
workers of all nationalities residing
in Soviet Russia, the working people
of Karelia are now entering new
phase of their history. The future
of the Karelian toilers rests in their
own hands. On the basis of the self
determination of nations before them
lies the unlimited possibilities OF
national development. The powerful
union of the working peoples feder-
ated in Soviet Russia, will defend
the rights of Karelian toilers, their
national self-determination and their
freedom from the yoke of all ex-
ploiters and oppressors. After fight
ing many hundreds of years against
barren nature for their existence,
the Karelian toilers are now enter
ing froms oppression and exploita-
tion onto the road of the family of
different nationalities freed from all
oppression and exploitation.
"Hand in hand with the toiling fore
es of the Soviet Republic, helping its
heroic Red Army and allied with the
splendid sons of kindred Finland,
the Finnish red communist forces,
the toiling people of Karelia are
freed from the violence of the white
armies and from the yoke Of rob-
.bers and exploiters. The toilers Of
Karelia, as well as the other peoples
Of, the Soviet Republic, have, in the
form of the soyiets of workers and
peasants, at last received the means
of the social freedom and peaceful
cultural and national development.
Thd supreme authority in Karelia
will hereafter reside in the hands Of
the Congress of Karelian Soviets, but
temporarily the affairs will be dir
ected by the Karelian Revolutionary
Committee. The Karelian Workers
Commune, in accordance with the de-
cision of the first All-Karelian Con-
ference, will be in close touch with
the Russian toiling people and as a
whole with the Soviet Republic Of
Russia. Although being a part Of the |
Republic, differing from its other
parts through the national and eco
nomical conditions, it will receive its
own able self-governing bodies with
a wide liberty Of action. -. The
Soviet government of Russia greets
with deep joy the newborn Karelian
Workers Commune, which joins the |
family Of workers Soviet Republics,
and it has full confidence that the |
Karelian Commune will grow and
bloom as the advance guard of the |
class in the far away North
western part of the Federative Soviet
Republic. The Russian Soviet gov
ernment gives to the Karelian Com
mune its promise, that it will give
all help and defend it in its work, |
seeing in this an important step in
the great construction work Of the |
World Soviet system"
And so side by side the new Ka-
relia, the Karelian Workers Com
mune, is arising from the runs of
the capitalist system, erecting the
workers own structure Of society,