Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-15
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

| the conquered territory taken from
| Sweden. Misliberalty in setting up
limited constitutional government
alongside of the unlimited monarchy
| of Russia was destined to rankle in
/ the hearts of his successors. but Alex
| ander retained his good faith through
out his reign. Later governments Of
| Russia sought to override AleXander's
| pledge and absorb Finland into Rus
| STA as a province TO be ruled by Rus.
| sian autocrats.
The nineteenth century was a bitter
| experience for the Firms in conse.
Quence of the efforts of the Russian
aristOcrats. Throughout the nine
| teenth century the successive Car
Grand Dukes ruled Finland. without
once calling into session the Finnish
Diet, from 1903 until 1853. Then it
was only for the purpose of amending
the constitution so as to give more
arbitrary power to the Russian throne.
| All through the years the Russian pol
| icy was to suppress natiOnalism
among the Firms and absorb them
| into Russia but such a course was
! firmly resisted. That resistance was
| led by a patriot named ArVidSen,
| whose declaration became the key to
| Finnish patriotism: Swedish we are
| not; Russians we do not want to be-
| come; therefore we must be Finnish. :"
Finland. the constitutional grand
| duchy, prospered far more than did
the Cars empire, Russia, and the
| Russian advisers of the throne in
! duced the Gar. Nicholas II, in 1899
TO suspend the constitution and send A
| Russian governor general, Bobrikoff,
to rule Finland.
Gen. Bobrikoff was assassinated in
| 1904 by a young Finn, Eugen Schau.
| man, who Immediately committed sui
eide, Other assassinations of Finnish
| oppressors followed in 1905. Still the
| classification policy was supported in
St Petersburg, and the Finnish resist
ance grew more and more desperate.
| together with her appeals to all civil.
cation for moral aid against tyranny.
When Nicholas ii was dethroned by
Kerensky he ceased 10 be, de factO,
the Grand Duke of Finland, and the
| Firms thereupon refused to recognize
any Russian authority as his success
sor. In May, 1917, the Finnish Diet
adopted a resolution of independence
| from st. Petersburg's control, and on
| December s, 1917, a complete declara-
| ton of independence was adopted, suS-
| tanned by German arms against Rus
l
months of civil war,
| So grateful were the Firms for the
| German aid against Russia that they
| invited Prince Frederick Charles of
| Hesse, brother-in-law of Kaiser Will
helm. to become King OF Finland. al.
though they had originally 0910
adopted n republican constitution.
| This act led to the withdrawal of rec.
ognition by the allies and to the stop
page of delivery of a great cargo of
wheat from the United States. pur-
chased and paid for. to feed starving
| Firms, whose supplies from Russia
| had ceased. A terrible famine ensued
during and following the civil war.
That war was brought on by Russian
reds, seeking to spread bolsheVism,
but with the aid of Germany the reds
We're defeated, and by the aid of the
allies Germany's scheme to take pos
session Of Finland was also defeated,
so that Frederick Charles never be-
came the King of Finland.
1t is the December, 1917. deClara-
ton of independence and the estab
| lishment of the republic which have
| just been commemorated. During the
| decade the Finnish republic has been
| in peace and prosperity. 1t boasts of
a greater development of cooperative
| enterprises than exists anywhere else
| in the world.
| downright 1897 nv Paul " Collins)