Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-15
BY BEN JAMES.

TINE gods of the Ncrthlands who
deal out poetic justice had cause
last Spring to smile solemnly
Il with satisfaction upon task
well done. For on March l the
father of Finnish independence, Pehr
Syinhufvud. at the age of So took the
oath of Office as third President OF the
Republic of Finland.
With eyes still young, twinKllng I'M
der shaggy gray brows in lace iur-
rowed by the lines gouged by nan a
century of dramatic fighting Tor SIN
gle cause. the new President emerged
from the inaugural ceremonies. He
walked between the slender columns OF
the Parliament Building down the vast
white steps lined with gray-clad SOL
diers and stepped into limousine en-
blazoned with a clawing lion, the Shlelo
of the nation.
Past the cheering crowds he was
driven through the spiked gates OF tne
Yellow Palace, the one-time HelSlngIors
residence of the Gear OF all the RuSSlas.
Here Svinhufvud entered his new nome
to live in the gay, gaudy rooms once
occupied by the autocrat VINO ~ years
before had condemned him TO eat the
bitter bread of Punishment on the Iaf
tundras of Siberia.
This was another victory for hghter
whose courage was equaled only by his
logged determination. And it was like
many another of Svinhufvud'S trlumphS
None of his exciting successes was
easily won. Most of them were achieved
against great odds, many OF them ne
tenaciously dragged from the quag-
mires of defeat. And in the vast ma
jority the balance between splendld
achievement and disaster was turned by
hairs weight. But always, once
gained, his victories have the haplt OF
becoming permanent. HIS latest poiltl-
cal CONQUEST turned apparent failure
into success and now takes on the
aspect of an administration that will
not be seriously challenged
Given Enthusiastic Support.
The enthusiastic support that Fin
land has given its new President since
his inauguration holds no indication of
the bitter fight behind his election. Yet
it is a fact that Svinhufvud was chosen
for office by majority OF only two in
the 800 electoral votes. On the first
ballot last February there was no ma
jority and Svinhufvud, the Unionlst or
Conservative candidate, ranked third in
a field of four contenders. The second
ballot gave him second place, with 98
votes, while his Liberal opponent, the
first President of the republic, Stahl-
berg. had 149. The last and final choice,
to be made between the two highest
candidates, set So votes free and Swim
hufvud needed all of them to win. The
necessity for decision between these two
men crystallized the five parties in the
Finnish politics on the two sides of
Finland's eternal issue-the attitude to-
ward influence coming out of Russia.
Svinhufvud's opponent, though not
favoring the Communists, was con-
sidered less forceful in his attitude
against them.
Svinhufvud, lifelong enemy of Rus
STA, whether CZarist or bolshevik,
stood out for an aggressive conserva-
tism that would make no concession
to the Reds. His enemies called him
reactionary. But this stand brought
to his support the individualistic and
fundamentally conservative Agrarian
party, and he slid into office on the
third ballot with Isl electors voting
for him.
And so this mans occupancy of the
presidential chair today is not only
the personal triumph of a resolute ca
reer crowded with the intrigues revo-