Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-15

The Republic OF Suomi has just
celebrated it's tenth anniversary of
independence. To outsiders the name
Finland" - more familiar, but TO
natives Suomi" is the legal and
proper name. 1t is the most north
ern republic in the world, and per-
haps the least known 10 the world.
Sometimes 1t is called THE Land of
a Thousand Islands; sometimes
The Land of a Thousand Lakes.
Both names are forms of emphasis
by understatement," for it contains
ten thousand islands and ten thou
sand lakes. It's chief asset is its
scenery of mountains and valleys
and it's nightless Summers and day
less Winters. 1t lies partly within
the Arctic region. being inclosed be
tween the 60th and the 10th degrees
of latitude-just as is Alaska-one-
third of it being within the Arctic,
and it's southern boundary being
farther north than Sitka.
1t has a population of 3366,507,
and for 10 years it has maintained
it's independence as a republic, rec
ognized by the allies of the World
War, although its independence was
achieved only by the aid of Ger
many. in the midst of the war After
the World War it retained its ma
tionhood against civil war brought
on by Russian Bolshevik leadership.
Germany would have absorbed Suomi
II Germany had won the kaiser's
conquest of the world.
The story of Suomi is that OF cen
turtles of subordination TO Sweden and
of tyranny by Russia throughout the
Ia st century, and of almost incredible
DEVELOPMENT of consciousness of ma
tionalitv, even while bearing the yoke
of hard taskmasters and oppressors.
Suomi had never been an independent
nation until she became one, December
6, 1917, when her population was prac.
tically as great as that of the United
States Of America at the time of our
Declaration Of independence.
y x
Archaeology declares that the region
Of Suomi bears proof that it has been
inhabited since 1000 years Be
which comedies with some chronicles
Of the time when Adam and Eve left
he Garden OF Eden to earn their bread
by the sweat of their brows. There
are no authentic records of their his
tory prior to the twelfth century
AID, when King Eric of Sweden, ac-
companied by an Englishman, Bishop
Henry. of Uppsala, Sweden, at the in
stigation of the Pope, invaded that
country for the purpose of converting
the barbarians to Christianity. A CEN
fury later. Sweden took over the con-
troll of the whole peninsula, and found
that the "harbarians, for the most
part, were Christians. Later, they all
;V,tA y,fh nc with fni.
erance for Catholicism.
Swedes were all free men and they
recognized individual freedom for the
Firms. Sweden and Russia fought sew
eral wars, and as Finland lay between
the two enemies. it's territory was fire.
uuently raviShed by battles in which
the Firms were not especially inter
ested. except that many of them
fought Loyalty for Sweden.
X
In February, 1908. the Russians. be-
ing again at war with Sweden, fought
a battle at Cravais, Finland, defeating
the Swedish-F'innish forces, and, AS a
result. Finland was taken from Swe-
den and attached to Russia. How
ever, Car Alexander | was wise
enough to know the limits of his
mower to subdue the Firms into com
plete subsection to Russia, so, instead
of absorbing the conquered territory
as part of Russia. he announced that
it should retain it's autonomy in local
government. with himself as Grand
Duke of Finland. as we'll as Emperor
or Gar of Russia.
Finland had been made duchy of
Sweden in the sixteenth century, with
John, the son of Gustavus Vasa, as
first grand duke. When Alexander
l, Car of Russia, announced himself
the Grand Duke of Finland, he was
not disturbing Finland's fundamental
laws. The grand dukedom had been
similarly attached to the Swedlsh
throne for 900 years.
The CZar.Grand Duke Alexander
further pledged to the Firms:
providence having placed us In
possession of the Grand Duchy of Fin
land, we have desired by the present
act to confirm and ratify the religion
and fundamental laws of the land, as
well as the privileges and rights which
each class in the said grand duchy,
in particular, and all the inhabitants
in general, be their position high or
low. have hitherto enjoyed under the
constitution. We promise to main
tain all these benefits and laws firm
and unbroken in their full force"
Thus the autOcrat of all the Russias
became the limited grand duke OF