FATE OF FINLAND.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 203, 21 May 1908, Page 7

FATE OF FINLAND.

AN OMINOUS SPEECH. STOLYPIN FORECASTS A CHANGE. RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA. BY TKLECRAPJI — PIIICSS ASSOCIATION—COrrUIOUT. St. Petersburg, May 19. i M. Stolypin, the Premier, in an ominous Ispecch. in tbo Duma, commenting on Finland's harbouring of revolutionaries, foreshadowed legislation placing Finland's relations with Russia on a more rational basis, while respecting her autonomous rights.

REACTIONARIES APPOINTED. ■"FINANCIAL CONFLICT. . > Tho. reactionaries in Russia. alleged in January. that several ■ hundred thousand , roubles'- ■ worth of including a battery of ' quickfiring guns, had arrived in "Finland from abroad. .From" a more trustworthy quarter (ti : correspondent of' "TJie Standard ") there, came i a hint that, among: the Socialist members of i the newly-elected Finnish Diet, there were "men' suspected' of 'having, stolen "dynamite' i for rovplutioririry purposes!" The Grand Duke ' Nicholas was* reported as having said that it ' was "impossible to tolerate 'a hostile regime within thirty miles of the capital." Towards ■ tho end of December the 'Russian Guards on' : tho. frontier of Finland .wero increased. In ! February the Gbyernor-Geriefar of M. i Gerhardt, was replaced by an' alleged tool of the reactionaries'.' In."April tho Finnish Diet— i famous for its twenty-two' women members— -was dissolved. And; now the danger is that I the' whole autonomy of, Finland,, despite Mi ; Stolypin's' disclaifeer/ may. go' into the crucible. i ' TSAR'S 'MARGINAL NOTE. The' alleged harbouring of revolutionaries has beeri' described'in some quarters as a pretext. At the bottom,', the conflict.'is. a budget- ; ary one. The Finnish Diet, created by the j Tsar in' 1005, has been.: endeavouring to exercise more financial authority than the Tsar Hikes. Tho .contribution payable, for 1906-7' by the' Finnish Treasury to. fhe t Imperial, Treasury for: military purposes is the ' immediate' cause of , dispU.t®; On 'the Finnish Diet's ' " declaration'" 1 on this, subject'the Tsar wrote si' mar-' ginal note which/according to Dr. E. J. Dil- , lon in ' the" "-Contemporary • Review,'k. ineays. little more than; this: "If, I render land the; things that aro Finnish, lani-resolved, to see that the' Finns render unto tho TJsar the. things that arc, the And the. sooner, they realise this the better." . Premier Stoly- ! pin now ' says ' that Finland's autonomous rights will be'rospected, bri,t,' while making' : a similar profession with regard to the powers > and' franchise of I th'.e,'Rus§iari'"Duma, the' Tsar' i fundamentally, modified''thein.' j- ! ' ■ THE NEW GOVERNOR. i Tho course of ovents is significant.. In December Major-General. S?yn,' a: Fiimpphobe wild had hold office under the assassinated BobrikofEt ! former, Governor, and oppressor), was' : appointed Assistant' Governor-GenCr.al "'of Ti.if,-' land. The' then GpyerhoT-Qepral .was M; Ger- • hardt; "whoseloyal ' to\ the.' Ijrin- . eiples laid down in, tho Tsar's" Miinifesto, of November ♦;'l9os,'by which previous measures' . of repression wero repealed, has beott misconstrued as a criminal neglect of, Russian interests in Finland.". In February M. Gerhardt was "relieved" of-his post, and General ■ Bekniann • was : appointed as : r 'his •'successor:. ''General Bokmann.:(wift'c's "The Tim.es's'" Stl Petersburg cori;osp6ndent) is. riot' credited with having a- policy of-.ljis own', but will obey ■ orders from reactionary, quarters'.":: 'About 'the same timo,: an';' Army.. Order,' .'signed, by the Grarid Duke Nicholas, tho Commander-in-Chief, of- the St. 'Petersburg District, . placed all the troops from the St.'Petersburg-: district now in Finland at the v 'direct' arid entiro disposal of Geuoral'■■ Beknirinn, tho new Governor." \ / STOT.YPIN'S POSITION. - /;■; The correspondent' .of "The Times" at Helsingfors (capital' of insists, (Deceinter ! 1-i) that '•"the..'"dangers frohi' the strong Socialist olement have diminished, since. : the ,party ! leaders 'have*'dissociated : themselves ' from the.; oxtrome. revolutionary virig." . Bjt; the subsequent dispoljUtion .of thij Die,t has .put an' end,for' the present to any.' alteration ;or. improvement in tliiit 'quarter.' The olectipn 'ojf ■ tho, ..new il>iet iq; sot; down for July; .arid jni , tho ipoantinie iPremier. Stolypin. foreshadows- it; ! change',in , R.usso-ljinnish,;.relations*., Oil. 'JSiiu.-'. ''jpry ;28,' " The ' Ti'mbs'6"' St. Petersburg ' correspondent vivroto:—Premier Stolypin' himself has '.been ■. threatened. v by tho' .reactionaries,',as.a result of: the' failures to .reintroduce ,the; Bpb,- ' i'ikoff regime into Finland.' M. Stojypin,. : over, ■ has" given : further.'.'pledges.' to, 'reaction;; notably.by withdrawal, of tho Bill for .'iii'-' suring freedom of' conscience;. whicH'is.'being ' amended' by the, Holy. Syngijl. 'V / . It' is, feared that the' Russificatioii of Finland will not "be long delayed."