The Daily News. FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 1904. RUSSIAN TYRANNY AND OPPRESSION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 57, 11 March 1904, Page 2

The Daily News. FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 1904. RUSSIAN TYRANNY AND OPPRESSION.

A si-qu.l lo tin- Russian oppression of tin- Finns was reported in our telegraphic columns on Saturday, when it was staled thai the Hovcrnor of Finland lnul in vain repciiioily appealed for volunteers for tin; Far East, and a number bad been compuJsorily trans|iorte(l. Some interesting particulars of Russian tyranny and oppression were given to a Truth reporter the other day by a Finnish gentleman, whose people formerly were connected with the governing class of Finland, and had to leave their homes at great sacrifice rather than submit to the Russian oppression of the country, who has taken up his residence near Christchurch. The gentleman, in giving an interview to'the reporter, felt obliged to withhold his name from publication, as if some of his statements ever readied Russia it would probably go hard witli several members of his family still in Finland, and his own interests in that country might also suffer. He gave some particulars of the state of Russia, which are especially .mcrteresling at the present moment, lie has seen Russia in every part. His cousin was at one time (lovernor of one of the provinces of Finland, and afterwards a Senator. Another cousin held a leading position in tl.e army, while one of hie brothers was a mayor and Judge, and another a colonel in the army. The Russians, he said, have attempted to destroy education in Finland, and have put a stop to masquerade bails 'tnd lot-

teries held in aid of education. The I Finns are not allowed to snip; their rational Anthem, and until the oul-pi-t-ak of the war they v.eie foiljidleii to celebrate the anniversary of ho birthday of their national poet. Ruhnberg. In addition to the liesMan postage a Russian coinage has been introduced. For the past live years all the women, young and old, in Finland, have worn deep mourning on account of the compulsory service of the young men in the Russian tinny. I'itder the lust Czar's reign, there was not. a race more loyal to the Russian throne than were the Finns : hut now no respectable Finn would endure to sit next to u Russian in a public room. Lust year 20,000 young men under 1 lie age of 21 left the country. There is n very warm feeling on the part of the Finns towards Croat lirilnin. If Russia were at war witli Fngland, the gentleman interviewed remarks, there would not he a pilot, he believed, to be found .in Ihe Russian navy, who would guide their warships out from the Cult of Finland. The Russians are not sailors. .Most of their seamen are Scandinavians, and their pilots are all Films. Jn tlie event of war with England, they would pile the Russian ships on the rocks, and steer the British In. Every Finnish officer and soldier also would take the British side. The Poles, the Baltic Provinces, and the Little I'.usBlas, as they are called, all round the Crimea, who are all of them disaffected, would Join a gonernl uprising against Russia. St. Pote'rsburg would fall In a very short time. Besides these outlying races, which she has failed properly to absorb, Russia has the persecuted Jews, the large body of Nihilists, who are opposed to despotic government, and the student, or revolutionary, classes, who are opposed to the present -Muscovite dynasty, to consider in her time of crisis. Several instances were mentioned to the reporter of glaring corruption by officials in tlie naval yards, and the opinion was expressed that corruption extended through every section of society in Russia. The Finlunder expressed the opinion that the Russian experience in the Far East on land would be just as bad as it was at sea, and concluded : "If they say they lu;ve provisions for ten years I will guarantee that the provisions will not last ten weeks. The Russiun army is extremely bad at shooting, and they ure also miserably fed. Out oi a contingent of young Finns who were sent to join tlie Russian army, only 50 per cent, came back, the rest having been unable to live on the scanty Russian fare. The Russian soldier is not intelligent. lie lias no brains nor will of his own. and is like a machine. As far as (lie ,-oldiers go. the Russian army, and 1 havi had a good deal of experience of il is tlie most, slovenly f have evei seen. The Russians are poor sail ors, trained for the most part nitliin the sight of laud. I don't think they can be worth much as a naval power, and until tlie present wai ■ they had never seen an engagement.'