The Daily Alaska empire., 1945-04-12
The Finnish Election
CNew York Times

Finland, the only European nation to elect new head of state in the midst of war has now become the first European nation involved in the war to elect new Parliament It has done in the first free par liamentary election held anywhere in war-scorched Europe since Hitler stated to conquer the world And it has done so under circumstances which not only provide new proof of the stndness of Finnish democracy, but also establish a promising precedent for the application of the Atlantic and Crimea Charters to the rest of liberated Europe ana other former Axis satellites
 For Finland which concluded an armistice with Russia and Great Britain last September but IS still at war with Germany, went to the polls while under Russian military control and partial occupation, and under the authority of Allied Control Commission headed by Soviet Comnissar, which parallels the authority and control prevailing throughout much Of eastern Europe It is reasuring that both the Flnnsh Prime Minister and the Finnish Minister of Justlce are able to testify that the election was conducted n full freedom and in the absence of outside pressure,
 and that it's results express the will of the people It is true that the Russian press and radio took an active
 part in the discussion of candidates but there has been no evidence of any actual interference in the election itself What has been possible in Finland should be equally possible in other countries where free elections under conditions of internal peace have been promised
 The mere fact that the election was held is m- portant. But the results themselves are equally significant. As to be expected, the Democratic Peoples Union, which is dominated by the Com nnists but which also contains Socialists and other
 
 is approximately only onequarter of the total vote,
 and only the existence of the ultra democratic pro
 ortona representation systems gives the Union party one -qarter of the total Diet seats. ThreequarteTs of the total and the proportion o the total Diet seats went to the conservative parties, ln- cudng the Social Democrats who, while losing many seats still emerge strong as the Union party h. deed there can be little doubt that under the cir cunstances this result represents the real state of Finnish public opinion, and there can be as little doubt that Finnish public opinion is also an index ot the state of public opinion throughout Europe.
 But if that is the case, then the issue whether what is being fought Europe is war or revolution has already been decided. And it may be assumed that if the Communist parties in many European countries assume moderate and cooperative attitude for the present they merely give expression to Russia realism Yet the freedom which Russia helped pre- serve in Finland carries its own reward For Prime Minister Paasikvi declared of his own free will alter the election that Finland will never again run counter to Rrssas interests and while it will seek to maintain collaboration with other Nordic countries as we'll It IS bound to orient it's policy in Russias direction There with the basis has been laid for one of those friendly Governments on which Russia insists among it's neigh bors The extension of like freedom to other countries promises like return