Evening star., 1947-12-27
Outwardly Calm Finland
Life in Helsinki, Nevertheless, Has Undercurrent
of Strong Anti.Russian Feeling
BpE. Michael SaLxer

HELSINKI (By airmaiD, Dec. 15-Finland
would be the most prosperous country in
Europe today If it were not for the gigantic
war indemnities which she has to pay Russia.
AS it is, the daily increasing production goes
mainly to satisfy Russian demands for pay
ments in kind"
Daily life is governed by wartime austerity.
Nobody starves, but the basic rations are not
enough to maintain the Finnish people in
health. Fats sugar, milk and fruits are lack
ing, while meat, eggs and vegetables, although
available, are too dear for the average man to
buy Restaurants run by the cooperative
societies, which have nearly half a million
members, serve meals at reasonable prices,
although the average civil servant cannot
afford even these and makes do with sand
witches in his Office.
The recent general strike of $4,000 govern
ment employees came as a surprise to no one
who realized how poorly they were paid. All
the more remarkable, therefore, was the ruth
less way in which the coalition government
defeated the strikers. These, after cutting
Finland off from the rest Of the world for
several days, were forced into unconditional
surrender, whereas previous Communist
sponsored strikes Of workers had been treated
with comparative leniency. The Communists.
who had condemned the strike, were the only
political group to applaud its defeat.
1t may not have been coincidence that
this action on the part of middle-class govern
ment employees should have followed so shortly
after the talks in Moscow and Helsinki had
given rise to crop Of alarming rumors. 1t
was said that these talks had provided the
basis for a military pact between the two
countries, which would have been highly un-
popular with most Firms, whose great wish
Is to withdraw from the Russian sphere of in
fluence into the more congenial atmosphere of
western democracy.
Relations with Russia, OF course, are the
keystone of Finnish policy. The coalition
government, fully aware Of It's precarious
position, uneasily pursues its double aim Of
squeezing more production from the people
to pay reparations and Of humoring the Rus
SLAMS by sitting complaints. There is no open
censorship, but newspapers are advised not
to comment unfavorably on Russia. Public
opinion is to remain neutral whatever the
private views of citizens who are mostly i'm
bued with the violent, traditional dislike of
Russia.
National Leaders Appraised.
The only man able to mediate between con-
ficting forces in politics and harmonic diff
1SISAACCo LII PuDAAS OkAllloi1 az CAlC 10
President Paasikivi. Still robust at IT, and
remarkably outspoken this ex-banker and
former leader of the Conservative Party can
crack jokes with Stain and WELD an influence
over the most conservative of his countrymen.
He is convinced of the Importance of main
tanning good relations with the Kremlin and,
although less glamorous than his predecessor,
Field Marshall Mannerheim is one of the out
standing statesmen of the day.
The Prime Minister, M. Mauno Pekkala, a big
heavy, slow-footed and tongue e-tied man. for
merly civil servant, is something of puzzle
to his friends. He left the Socialists after the
war, and fused his splinter-party with the
Communists into the Democratic League.
M. Pekkala has the uneviable task of welding
the conflicting opinions of the Coalition into
a policy of compromise. So far he has sue
ceeded in withstanding the strains of the