Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1922-02-11

ritory Is distinguished as East Kare-
liza. So too. the people of eastern Fin
land are known as Karelians and are
one in blood and traditions with the
karelians in Russia. In fact Russian
karelia, free from the Swedish influ-
ence that has nodded much of the Gull
ture of Finland, and large neglected
by the Russians. has preserved in pur-
er form the ancient customs of the
Finnish race From East Karelia were
collected some of the most important
of the old runes, sung by generation
after genera ton, that make up the
great Finnish epic the kavala, which
| ranks as one of the greatest of the ra-
cial epics.
| Long before the Slavic Russians
moved westward to the Baltic the Ka-
| relians occupied the present East ka-
relia, the territory eastward to Lake
| Omega and the White Sea. and north
ward to the Arctic Ocean. They occu-
pied. too, the region in which st. Pc
\ tersburg was built: and the stones Of
that ma gnificent city we're laid in an
! guish largely by captive Karelians
| taken by the armies of Peter the Great
in forays along the Finnish border.
I'm the st. Petersburg district the
establishment of great city largely
drove out the former inhabitants. but
| throughout the remainder of the old
Karelisn territory north to the Arctic
they have been little interfered with.
| Even on the Kola peninsular between
the White Sea and the Arctic Ocean
the Karelians in 1915 made up So per
cent of the population and the Rus
SLAMS only q. the remainder being
composed mostly of Lapps.
/ 1T was through the edge OF Kare-
1fa tho htsf1t their ia
nous Murmansk railroad in 1916 after
German successes had cut them off
from contact with their allies through
the Baltic. This road affords an out
let to an Arctic port-M'tmansk-
open the year round. American expedi-
tionary forces went into northern Rus
STA through Murmansk and were kept
supplied over this far northern road.
"The difficulties encountered in
building the Murmansk road form an
excellent indication to the character
of the country in Karelia Throughout
: Its southern section ieh line had TO
: zig-zag its way among countless lakes
and swamps and in the north il was
necessary to build it across many per-
manent boys. Parts of the original
roadbed in the far north. constructed
in winter. were supposedly built on
rock, but when summer came the ma
terial turned out to be ice. and the
rails sank into the mire.
East karelia is somewhat colder
than southern Finland. but though II
is as far north as southern Greenland
it's climate is by no means extremely
rigorous. Like adjacent portions OF
Finland. it is tempered by proximity
to the Baltic and by winds from the
= far-reaching Gulf Stream 1t is this
Q stream. incidentally. sweeping across
I the Atlantic from Americas southland,
that makes year-round commerce pos
sible at Murmansk and along the en-
n tire Thurman coast
= 'Finland's interest in East Karelis
: is double one. Not only does she wish
to be united to her own kinsmen, bui
she also desires an open port in the
Q north. One of the principal reasons
$ for desiring an Arctic port is said Il
= be a wish TO establish closer relations
. with the United States. which by this
direct. open route is closer than by tbs
Q somewhat tortuous way through tbs
4 English Channel. the North Sea. and
{ the Baltic =