Evening star., 1950-01-15

called, one OF the lesser lights
said to have gotten up and sugge
corresponding organization in
the Soviet Union"
Whatever confusion there might
have been in Finland at that
time about Soviet attitude toward
her own dissidents has cleared up
long ago. In fact, the most i'm
portant development in the whole
OF postwar Europe is probably the
big increase in knowledge about
the strictly pro-Russian aims of
the Soviet-led Communist policies.
It is in this spirit of clear is
sues that the Finnish presidential
elections will be held tomorrow
and Tuesday. Those who cast
their votes for the Communist
candidate, Pekkala. know that
they are casting them for the big
neighbor, more or less. That's
why the Social Democrats, Con-
servatives, Progressives and those
in the Swedish Party have united
behind one candidate, the Presi-
dent of the republic, Juho K. Paa-
slklvl, the man who is given much
credit for preserving Finland's in
dependence in the Soviet sphere
Of influence.
Third Candidate
But there is also a third candi-
date In the race, that of the Agra
rian Party, Urho K. Kekkonen,
the parliamentary speaker and a
director Of the Bank of Finland.
His candidacy is an indication of
an improved internal political sit
uation so that differences between
non-Communist parties no longer
necessarily means helping the
Communists into power and that
Finland can afford now even a
cabinet crisis without serious po-
litical consequences. In fact, the
Agrarian Party sided with the
Communists when it tried to oust,
almost year ago, the present So
c1al Democrat cabinet. which the
party had supported during more
critical times. Being the biggest
party in the Parliament the Agra
rians feel they should form the
cabinet. There is also more pres
sure now from the farmers, over
so per cent of the population,
mainly because Of the rapidly fall
len food prices, in some cases be-
low the production costs. The
Fagerholm government has put
much of the blame on the coun-
trySide and it is true that the rs
per cent price hike it granted 10
days ago does benefit certain wage
earners at the expense of all con-
Sumers.
All forecasts Of the election re-
suits must be based, at least part
ly, on the 1948 elections. Out of
the 200 seats in the Parliament the
Agrarians got Sc, the Social Dem
ocrats 81. the Communists 38, the
Conservatives 33, the Swedish Par
ty IA, and the Progressives S. Thus
the four parties which back Paasi-
XVI for reelection have LOG rep
resentatives in the Parliament, or
So per cent of the total, while
hackers of Kekkonen have 56 rep
resentatives -28 per cent and
those behind Pekkala 38, amount
ing to 19 per cent of the total.
The great lack of strength of
Kekkonen causes much concern
for many anti-Communist Firms
who want TO know how he can
expect to have even a small chance
for winning, unless he makes a
deal with the Communists. And
what will the price be? The pro-
Paasikivi forces are claiming
Kekkonen is somewhat of an op-
portunist in the Finnish political
picture, which opinion appears to
get some support from his own
writings, back in the 1930s. Agra
rian Party asks Firms to vote for
the candidate who is "alive," ap-
parently thinking of the 78 years
of Paasikivi. The Communists
have slogan, presidential elec-
tions turning point in our coun-
try's policies"
Much Accomplished
The final outcome of the elec-
ton might not be clear. on the
basis of Mondays and Tuesdays
vote for the 800 electors unless a
candidate, most likely Paasikivi,
gets an absolute majority, a mini
mum of ISL electoral votes, to
back him up month later.
BY and large Finland can be
satisfied with her postwar eco
nomic accomplishments; they
are very good indeed. She has
paid compensation to the nearly
half a million Karelians left
homeless because of the war and
only a few hundred families of
those who wanted land are still
unsettled. She has paid heavy
reparations to the Soviet Union
and she has rebuilt all the homes
of Lapland destroyed in the war.
She has increased the production
OF food SO much that many of
her problems are now those of
plenty. instead Of shortages, and,
except for coffee and sugar, has
been able to discontinue ration
ing. While doing all this she has
increased social welfare benefits.
Finland's position between the
East and the West makes the
election outcome important. OF
the European prewar neighbors
OF the Soviet Union she is the
only one which has not fully lost
her independence. She has
STAYED of successfully every at
tempt of the extreme left to make
her join the iron curtain family
She has a number of important
earmarks of free country, such
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