FINLAND'S INDEPENDENCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17693, 2 August 1919, Page 10

FINLAND'S INDEPENDENCE

POSSIBILITIES OF AUSTRALIAN TRADE. The French Republio and Great Britain liavo now recognised the right of Finland to be an independent State. Further recognition has now reached Mr K. J. Naukler, First Consul in Australia for Finland. He has been officially informed (says the Sydney Daily Telegraph) that the independence of Finland has now been recognised by tho United States, Italy, and Japan. The whole of tho population of Finland celebrated this complete recognition of its independence 'by great rejoicings, especially in the capital of Helsingfors. All streets were beflagged: the populace demonstrated their joy by processions: and the school children were granted holidays. It is only last year since Finland acquired her independence, and started out to decide her own future after more than 100 years' subiection and humiliation under the Russian yoke. To-dav die is a young nation, confident in herself, that knows the strength of her own resources. WHAT FINLAND CAN SEND US.

To-day there are many things, says tho new Consul, that could be exchanged between Australia and Finland. Australia wants paper and pulp. Finland is producing these in enormous quantities. In pre-war days Russia was one of her best customers, and thousands of tons of paper found yearly their way into the great Empire. But now, owin<j to internal troubles, Russia imports hardlv anything, and the surplus of tho Finnish paper production could consequently be exported to Australia to fill local requirements. There is also Baltic pine, excellent for building purposes. During the war Finland has accumulated an immense hoard of this valuable timber, waiting to be exported to countries that are in need of soft wood material. Oream separators of the highest standard are manufactured at home, and should, fetching a moderate price, find a market here. Safety matches and cellulosa might be sought after by Australian merchants. WHAT FINLAND WANTS FROM US.

Coming to the exports from Australia, there are wheat and meat, tho staple food of the world, and the chief products of this country. Finland, not bemg a selfsupporting nation, is in desperate need of these two things upon which her very existence depends. The last few years have almost entirely depleted her stock of cattle, and have caused a serious meat famine. Frozen and tinned meat from this country would find their way to the remotest parts of Finland. It is only a few days' steam between England and Finland, and if meat could be profitably exported to Britain, and put on the market at a reasonable price, why (the Consul asks) could it not likewise be sent to Finland, provided there was a direct line of steamers between the two countries?

Before the war, Russia exported to Finland all the wheat sho needed, but now she' has to look somewhere else for it. Naturally she' turns to the two granaries of tho world —Australia and the Argentine—and she has to be content with what she can get after the demands of the more prosperous nations are satisfied. Wool would bo eagerly bought by Finnish merchants. Then there are minor products, as jam, tinned fruit, honey, wines, and furs, all of which there is a shortage in Finland. In the pre-war days Finland imported £5,000,000 worth of goods from Germany. ( The bulk of this caine from the British colonies and South America, with German merchants acting as middlemen, and receiving great profits. The reason of this was that German merchants wero able to sell their goods on special terms. By eliminating .the middleman the producer and consumer could get in direct touch with one another, and the imported goods would be more accessible to the public. Now Finland can obtain nearly all her needs from the British Empire. Thus wo can anticipate that Finland, in tho future, will be a good customer to the Empire,' especially as the Finnish people have an unbounded _ confidence in the fairness of British business principles. There are several thousand Finns in Australia to-day. Somo have settled on the land, and s?fem to thrive well. A great number are sailors. To the credit of the Finns it ra.n be said that during the war a high percentage of them joined tho Australian army, and fought for this country.