Evening star., 1939-12-10

sh national anthem make an 1ppr0-
A. P. Wtrephoto.
has Finland been free of Russian DOM
ination.
After Sweden surrendered control in
1909, the Russians took over. But the
Films were allowed considerable degree
of autonomy, existing as semi-inde-
pendent state responsible not to the
Gar as ruler of Russia, but as Grand
Duke of Finland. Toward the end of
the last century, however, new regime
was instituted, which was designed to
Russify the Firms.
All evidences of Finnish culture were
to be stamped out. Russian was decreed
as the official language of courts and
schools Under this tyrannical regime
there was great cruelty and oppression.
Finland became an impoverished satrapy
of the Eastern despot who ruled over
Russias inarticulate millions. And
naturally, the Firms being intensely con-
scious of their race and culture, strong
natioanstic movement came into being,
stronger because for 50 long it was of
necessity underground.
Civil War Develops.
The Russian revolution was the oppor-
tunity that Finnish nationalists had
waited for. On December 6. 1917, the
Firms proclaimed their independence.
But shortly afterward Communist in
surrection occurred in which Finnish
Communists had the active aid Of Rus
sian Communists. This civil war was
extraordinarily fierce and bitter. Vir-
utally no prisoners were taken by either
side
This grim internecine warfare would
have dragged out much longer if it had
not been for the Intervention OF Ger
many on the side of the White army.
There were deep scars from the con-
flict that were long in healing. And
since Finland occupies a strategic place
in the Baltic. both Germany and Rus
sia continued to try to influence Finnish
foreign policy.
Seven years ago at the depth of the
depression. when prices for wood pulp
had dropped disastrously, native Fas-
cist movement came into being, based
largely on the rural population. This
Fascist group used the threat of Com
munism as an excuse for sporadic illegal
acts, but it was shortly outlawed by the
government. At the same time the Com
munist party was made illegal on the
theory that it was merely an instrument
Of Soviet foreign policy designed to bring
Finland under control of Russia again.
The general belief was that the Fas-
cists received aid and encouragement
from Germany. There were many lead
ers in Finnish life who held that some
day it would be necessary to make a
choice between Germany and Russia
and that Germany represented the lesser
of two evils. They. thought to play of
the Nazis against the Soviets and in
that way preserve their security. At the
time that the British French-S Soviet con-
versations Of last spring appeared likely
to lead to an alliance, Gen. Mannerheim,
hero of the Finnish revolution, had
talks with Nazi leaders.
Despite the conflict between extreme
left and extreme right, rejecting as it
did the ancient hostility of Germany and
Russia In the Baltic, Finland achieved
high degree of national integration.
Both producer and consumer co-opera-
tives have developed rapidly since the
World War, playing an important part
in the economy. The government has
sponsored large-scale housing projects.
And these and numerous other reforms
have been sponsored by governments not
only of the left but the right. For the
past four or five years Finland has had
moderate government. somewhat to the
right of the center.
Fight Complete Subservience.
To have complied with the original
Soviet demands would have meant vir-
tually to surrender sovereignty, in the
Finnish view, and no government could
have yielded. The Firms are fighting
with the realization that conquest of
their country will mean obliteration of
their nation, complete subservience to
may surprise military experts who meas
ure merely gun for gun and bomber for
bomber.
The Scandinavian countries have q
despairing conviction that some aid must
be forthcoming from the outside world.
The Firms look to the United States,
where they have engendered reservoir
Of good will If only through the unique
act Of repaying the debt they owe to our
government. Already even such stanch
isolationist as Senator Hiram johnson Of
California has suggested that because Of