Evening star., 1940-02-18
Visitor Finds Films
Super
Taking Toll
Entire Nation WORKING
With Too Little Time
Out for Relaxation
By LELAND STOWE,

On1ca9o Daily News Foreign Correspondent.
HELSINKI, Feb. 17.-After q
months absence Finland's capital
presents the same calm surface, and
its people exhibit the same iron
will to defend their freedom at
whatever cost. Such changes as
one observes are subtle changes.
But with eyes freshened by cold
days in the outside world I am par
ticularly impressed by the dangers
of super-eflciency and excessive
discipline when they are applied to
a nations entire civilian popula-
ton.
Surely no modern nations ci-
izenry-from oldsters to youngsters
has ever been more thoroughly
organized in wartime. The ex-
traordinary organization of the Fin
nish people in the rear guards has
aroused the admiration of all of
us. In every town and village and
in a dozen different fields the
Lottas are superb. The same ap-
plies to the Civilian Defense Com
mittee, whose members fight fires
and do rescue work during air raids.
In every phase civilian voluntary
groups function here as if they had
years of military training. For or
ganization and discipline the Firms
rival the Germans-and do it on a
voluntary basis.
Nevertheless, a friendly observer
cannot fail to remark the cost of the
lack of flexibility in the Finnish
character. AS with the Prussians,
the Firms adhere with absolute rig
idity to schedules and orders. They
do so with the most laudable patri-
otic selfleSsness-but very often dis
regarding completely the physical
toll which is taken by such unal-
tered application of a set of rules.
Consequently the Finnish civilian
population suffers almost as much
from super-discipline as Republican
Spain suffered for lack of discipline
early in the Spanish war.
Fetish of Routine.
Because the Firms make such a
fetish Of orderly routine, and be-
cause they are so fiercely intense
about their full 100 per cent duty
all the time, 1t seems to me that
they impose very considerable de-
gree of unnecessary strain upon
themselves. The Lottas and virtu-
ally all other civilian volunteers keep
their noses to the grindstone al
most without relaxation of any
kind week after week.
Returning to Helsikni, one sees
the cumulative effect in the faces
of friends-though part of it is due
to the influenza infested winter cli-
mate of Southern Finland.
A few examples of super discipline
will suffice. The Lottas, in AFRAID
first-aid sections, are usually COM
PEELED to sleep in their uncomfort-
able headquarters week after week
even when they are supposedly off
duty and despite the fact that
their homes may be less than mile
away. This is done because there
might be night air alarm-though
to my knowledge there has been
only one night alarm in Helsinki
since December 4. Thus, women
breathing spell in many weeks and
without one nights repose with their
families.
Little Time OF.
A Lotta group is also stationed in
every Helsinki hotel. The COM
manders seldom arrange for one
whole night off duty for each men,
ber of their staff. Every one is ex-
pected to do her utmost or be ready |
to do it-and almost without inter-
ruption. In the same fashion occu-
pants of apartment houses still take
turns at standing two-hour watches
in case of possible air raids or
f1res-each night, although a night
bombing has never occurred either,
and to most people seems most un-
likely.
This rigidity of discipline governs
every Finnish civilian organization
IN fact, it is one of the things which
makes 1t Finnish. But an inevitable
price in physical and mental stamina
must be paid-not very large price
over a few days and nights, but
what represents potentially seri-
Gus price over a period of months.
For this reason I sometimes fear
that the Firms may be about 20
per cent too efficient and overdisci-
plined. They seem to have iron
nerves, and they have marvellous
physiques. perhaps the very best in
all Europe. Unfortunately, they rare
ly seem to know how to rationalize
the application of any order or COM
mand, and they have almost no con-
ception of how to conserve their
energies when it could be done with
out any serious risk.
It is true that the Firms incredi-
bic vitality may not be greatly un-