RUSSIA AND FINLAND.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 132, 26 May 1908, Page 3

RUSSIA AND FINLAND.

FINANCIAL CONFLICT. The reactionaries in Russia alleged j in Jnmuirv that several hjmilreil tlums;iml roubles' worth ol' arms. including a I battery of jihiis, had arrived ill Finland from alirninl. From a more trustworthy quarter (n correspondent of the Standard) there came a hint that, anion.? the Socialist members of■the newly-elected Finnish Diet, there were "inen suspected of bavin-; stolen dynamite for revolutionary purposes."' 'flic Grand T)uke Nicholas was reported

as having said, it was "impossible tjo tolerate regime within thirty miles of the capital/' Towards the end of December the Russian (iuards on the frontier of Finland were increased. In February the Governor-General of Finland, M. Gerhardt. was replaced by an alleged tool of the reactionaries. In April the Finnish Diet-famous for its twenty-two women members—was dissolved. And now the danger is that the whole autonomy of Finland, de-pite M. Stolvpin's disclaimer. mrty go in ID the crucible.

CZAIi'S MAIiGIXAI, XOTK. 'Ill: 1 alleged harboring of revnlutiouarie.- lias been described in some ipiarters a- a pretext. 'III.. Finnish Diet, created by the Czar in KlOj, his been endeavoring to exercise more financial authority than the Czar likes. The contribution payable for l!IOii-7 by the Finnish Treasury to the Imperial' Treasury for military purposes is th o immediate cause of dispute. On the Finnish Diet's '•declaration" 011 this subject the Czar wrote a marginal note which, according to Dr. 10. J. Dillon in the Contemporary Review, means little more than iIlls': "If T render unto Finland the things that are Finnish, I am resolved to see, that the Finns render nnto the Czar the things that are the Czar's. Ami the sooner thev realise this the better." Premier Ptolypin now says that Finland's autonomous rights will hi- respected, but. while making a similar profession with regard to the powers and franchise of the Russian Douma, the Czar fundamentally modified them. THE XEW GOYERXOU.

The cotir-e of events is significant. Til Decemlier Major-General Seyn, a Fiimophobe who had held ollk-e under the assassinated liobrikoll' (Finland's former Governor and oppressor), \\-i--appointed Assistant Governor-General of Finland. The then Governor-General was M. lierhardt. "whose loyal adherence to the principles laid down in the Czar's manifesto of \Oveml>er 4, lOII."), by which previous measures of repression were repealed, llad been misconstruill as a criminal neglect of Russian interests in Finland." In Febrnarv "Al. Gerhard! was "relieved" of his post.' anil General I'eUiuann was appointed as li's sin ecssor. ''General lickmann (writes tile Times' eorres|>ondent) is not credited with hiving orders from reactionary .piarters." About the same time, an Army Order, signed by the Grand Duke Nicholas, the Coninianilcr-in-Cliief of the St. Petersburg district, placed all (he troops from the St. Petersburg district now in Finland at the direct and entire disposal of General llekmann. the new Governor.

si. stou'jx's position*. Tli« correspondent of the Time* at llelsingfors (caj)itiil of- Finland) insists (December 34) that "the dangers threat, filing from the strong Socialist clciiK-nts have diminished, since the party loaders have dissociated tiiemselves from the extreme revolutionary wing." But the subsequent dissolution of the Diet has put ail end for the present to any alteration in that quarter. The election ot 1 lie new Diet is set down for .Tilly; and in the meantime Premier Nlolvpin foreshadows a change in RusSo-Fiunisli relations. o„ .l-miiary OS, the Time-' St. Petersburg correspondent wrote: Premier Stolvpin himself has l.coii threatened 11\- the reactionaries, as a result ol the failure to reintroduce the JSohrikotf regime into Finland. 31. Stolypin. however, has given further pledges 10 reaction, notably by the withdrawal fj| the Hill for ensuring freedom of c-Onscii-nce. which is heinj "amended' by till- Holy Synod. . . . u is feared that the Hii-ilic.iuon of Finland will HOl, ])* Vf'll."