Evening star., 1925-06-26
STANDARD0F FINN
EDUCATION IS HIGH
Exceptional Opportunities for
Men and Women on All
Essential Lines.
Correspondence OF The Star and the Chicago
Daily News

Correspondence Of The Star and the Chicago
Daily News.
rARIS. Fra anCe, May 20.-FinIand is
republic. with social and govern
mental institutions representing nice
equilibrium between the spirit of con-
servatism and the spirit of democratic
liberalism. The constitution of 1919
makes both Swedish and Finnish Of
fetal languages, and gives equal
rights to all citizens. male and female
at the same time exacting from them
equal duties. For example. all cit
izens. without distinction as to sex
are obliged TO participate. in one form
or another, in the national defense
a constitutional provision which. so
fas as | am aware, does not exist in
any other country. There is a presi
dent OF the republic, a one-chamber
diet or legislature, a premier and
council of ministers in the usual
style of European democracy. and full
guarantees are VouchSafed to property
and to personal liberty.
The standard of morality is similar
to that of other Protestant countries.
Maturity comes slowly in this north
ern CLINE. At Il most young men are
still growing and maria ges are cor
reSpondingly late, even in the country
districts. In matters pertaining to
courtship the parents take no part.
Young people are put upon their
honor and left to their own devices
and. as rule. no objections are
raised. whether social or economic
Family and neighborhood festivals are
numerous and ceremonious. A mar
riage is an elaborate affair. So is a
funeral. In the Maypole celebration
and the festival of bonfires and green
boushs on Mid Summer eve one
recognizes the survival of old pa gan
rites
High Educational Privileges.
The standard of education is high.
Less than ! per cent Of the adult pop
ulation is illiterate. All through the
country districts are TO be found pri
mary schools. which serve not only for
children's lessons. but as social cen
ters. where foregather on Sundays in
this land of isolated farms the farm
ers and their families from miles
around. There are three good univer.
sites and a new system Of aSricui-
tural schools and Of ''peoples high
schools" is functioning happily in ru-
raj parts
The state regulations respecting re-
llsion are peculiar. All creeds are
tolerated. but the only two that have
any Importance are the Lutheran and
the Greek Catholic or Russian Ortho-
doX faiths. The former comprises 9S
per cent of the population. Finland
may be considered Lutheran coun-
try.
Taxes for the support of these two
creeds are collected by the state. but
no church may own more than essen
tlal church property. and no new
Greek Catholic-monasteri may he
established. Religious instruction is
obligatory in the schools unless par
ents formally request the pupils ex-
emption, and for the non-reIigious ele-
ment-socialistS in the cities-courseS
in morality and in the history OF re
lisions are 10 be substituted for the
usual religious instruction. No indi-
Vfdual may officially change his faith
before he is IS years old, and even
thereafter. only after personal notii-
cation one month in advance. The aim
Of all these regulations is said TO he
the prevention of religious agita ton.
but the effect is certainly not unfavor-
able 10 Lutheranism.
Leader In Woman Suffrage.
Finland enjoys the distinction Of
having been the first country in the
world to eran full suffrage to WON
en-. This was done on October /. 1906
when Finland was still an autonomous
Russian duchy. 1t was done partly
from real conviction. bur partly also
as liberal move in the long struggle
against Russia n imperial domination
which Finland hated. The Finnish
nationalist movement and the Fin
nish woman's movement grew up to
sether during the last century and
are still closely related.
There is. however, very little of the
strident feminism which verges on
sex war. by fulfilling our duties.
the winning of our rights" is the
motto of Finnish feminists. and their
aim is described as ''an effort TO har-
monize relations between the two
great creative forces, man and
woman.
What they have struggled for and
have practically achieved is the grant
ing to women of the same legal and
moral equality, the same opportuni-
ties for culture. independence and
freedom of work that men enioy-the
same freedom of work because as
they say. the industrial revolution Of
the last century. doing away with the
the old household economy and indus
tries, means either that women no
longer have any serious economic life
or that they must seek this life out
side the home.
To-day in FinIand no woman may