Evening star., 1949-08-21
Red Strikes in FinIund

AL OuLUISdk Ol VIOLENCE Ill LIlc mounting
wave of strikes by Communicated labor
unions in Finland highlights a situation
wherein that countrys democratic liberties
are challenged. The course of events may
also soon reveal whether Soviet Russia
intends to continue the hands or policy
toward this small neighbor which it has
hitherto at least outwardly maintained.
Finland has been on Moscow's black
book ever since the parliamentary elections
of July, 1948, when the Communists took
such drubbing that they were denoted to
a minor place in the Chamber. Notwith-
standing this, they demanded key positions
in the ensuing coalition cabinet headed by
Premier Fagerholm of the Social Demo-
cratic Party. When that demand was
refused they went into militant opposition
and have been making trouble intermit-
tently ever since. The Moscow press and
radio have likewise launched periodic at
tacks on the Finnish government for its
"reactionary" and "unfriendly" character.
Despite this, Finland has calmly gone its
own way, carefully avoiding any provoca-
tion for Moscow yet keeping the local Reds
in their place and maintaining public
order and economic stability.
The current wave of strikes was decided
upon by the group of Communicated
unions after the devaluation of the Finnish
mark early in June. These unions are a
distinct minority in the Finnish labor
movement majority of the workers be-
longing to Socialist unions, which control
the Trade Union Federation. When the
Red unions asked the federation to back
their demand for steep rise in wages,
the federation rejected 1t as both econom-
ically unsound and illegal.
Nevertheless, the Red unions went ahead
with their plan for cumulative series OF
strikes, the first one being called early this
week for the lumbermen. Declared illegal
by the authorities, violence broke out in a
timber port in the north, where minority
under police protection, were attacked by
a mob of strikers. After considerable
bloodshed, the police got control of the
situation. But other strikes are imminent,
and If the workers obey their Red leaders,
the nations economic life will be badly hit.
The government declares categorically
that these strikes are political and even
revolutionary in nature, their aim being
Ito create chaos in order to usurp power
and establish Peoples Democracy (Com-
munist government) in Finland" on the
model Of the Red coup in Czechoslovakia.
However, the government processes itself
ready to meet the challenge and crush any
revolutionary attempt. The police and the
ARMY, ION continuous alert" seem to be
loyal, while the government is undoubtedly
backed by majority of public opinion.
The crucial question is what Moscow may
do. We know enough about the solidarity
of international communism and the SUBJ
servience of Communist parties to Moscow
everywhere to be sure that these strikes
have not been called without Soviet ap-
proval. A crushing defeat for the Finnish
Reds would have bad repercuSsions on
Soviet prestige, especially in the already
restive satellites behind the Iron Curtain.
Moscow has means Of pressure on Finland
short of open military Intervention. We
may see some of these pressures exercised
under certain circumstances. Anyhow, the
current crisis has ominous aspects which
should not be minimized.