File No. 860d.00/45
With this object in view I have taken the liberty of submitting an
application for leave to purchase and ship certain supplies to
Honorable Herbert C. Hoover, Food
Administrator, United States Food Administration, a copy of which
application I have the honor to submit herewith. I was informed by
the Food Administration that there was no objection on its part to
the purchase and shipment of certain of the specified food products
under the plan outlined in the application above mentioned, but that
such arrangement required the sanction of the State Department.
I hereby respectfully submit the following applications to the State
Department and urgently request speedy and favorable action thereon:
I also respectfully submit, for the information of your Department, a
brief memorandum upon the status, de jure and
de facto, of
[Page 764]
the government which I have the honor to
represent, and upon the present political situation of Finland.
If you will deem it proper to grant me an informal interview, I shall
be happy to supplement the statements contained in the memorandum
with such additional information on the subject that you may
desire.
[Enclosure 1]
Memorandum of the status, “de jure” and “de
facto” of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the
People’s Republic of Finland
On behalf of the provisional revolutionary government of the
people’s republic of Finland, I hereby respectfully beg to bring
to the knowledge of the Government and the people of the United
States the following facts with reference to the present status
of the government of the Finnish republic:
On July 18, 1917, the Finnish Diet declared the independence of
Finland. This declaration was subsequently, on September 14,
ratified at another session of the Diet, and later the
independence of Finland was officially recognized by the present
government of the Russian Republic.
The preceding Provisional Government of Russia, however, in
August 1917, refused to recognize the Finnish declaration of
independence and assumed to dissolve the Finnish Diet, which
act, however, was entirely unauthorized and illegal. Following
the alleged dissolution of the Diet new elections were ordered
and a new government based on such election was formed. This is
the “government” now in control of the northern part of Finland
and represented in this country by Dr. Julio Reuter.
On January 27, 1918, this “government” was deposed by a
revolutionary uprising of the people, and a new government was
formed, known as the provisional government of the people’s
republic of Finland, which I have the honor to represent in this
country.
The motives of the revolution were political as well as social.
The political and juridical relations between Finland and Russia
were, according to interpretations of weighty authorities on
international law, a personal union, the monarch of Russia being
the Grand Duke of
Finland, invested with the powers, and subject to the
limitations enumerated in the Constitution of Sweden, as it
stood at the time of Finland’s annexation by Russia in 1809, and
as amended from time to time by the Finnish Diet with the
approval of the Russian Government. One of the provisions of the
Constitution was that if the monarch should be dethroned or lose
sovereignty for any reason the supreme power should
automatically pass into the hands of the Diet.
Thus the effect of the Russian revolution was to empower the
Finnish Diet to take full charge of the government of the
country. In accordance with that interpretation, the Finnish
Diet, on July 1–8, 1917, by a vote of 136 to 55, passed a bill
proclaiming Finland’s independence, of which the following is a
literal translation:
Be it enacted:
Whereas the prerogatives of the
regent have been eliminated, the Finnish Diet resolves
as follows:
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1
The Finnish Diet alone decides, enforces, and executes
all the laws of Finland, including those concerning
state economy, taxation, and customs.
The power of the Diet is supreme also in all other
Finnish matters in which the Tsar and Grand Duke heretofore
had the decisive vote.
The provisions of this law do not include the foreign
policies, the military statutes, or the military
administration.
2
The Diet may convene without special call and it has the
right to prorogue its sessions. Until a new form of
government has been agreed upon in detail, the Diet,
according to the election laws, shall determine upon new
elections and the dissolution of the Diet.
3
The Diet appoints the supreme executive power of
Finland.
The supreme executive power shall temporarily be in the
hands of the economic department of the Finnish Senate,
its members to be appointed and recalled by the
Diet.
The Diet which adopted the above declaration, and which was
controlled by the Socialists, did not at that time assume the
government pursuant to the provisions of the declaration because
the non-Socialist parties refused to attend the sessions of the
Diet after it had been illegally dissolved by the Provisional
Government of Russia. Subsequently, however, when through the
illegal election above mentioned, the reactionary elements
secured the control of the alleged new Diet, they reaffirmed the
declaration of independence and assumed to form a government
under its terms.
The chief reasons for the revolution were, however, more
deep-seated than the purely juridic justification. In the first
place, the government elected by the illegal Diet entered into
such relations with the German Government, which threatened to
jeopardize the new-won independence of Finland and to betray the
cause of the Russian revolution—the real liberation of Finland.
The representatives of that Finnish “government” attempted at
Brest Litovsk to conclude a treaty with Germany similar to that
made by the pro-German representatives of Ukraine. Even without
waiting for a formal conclusion of peace with Germany, the
illegal “government” of Finland entered into official relations
with Germany, appointing a formal mission to Berlin.
Subsequently, as we are informed from seemingly reliable
sources, the deposed government actually entered into a
political and economic treaty, practically placing the country
under German protectorate. Latest advices, which seem quite
credible, are to the effect that the representatives of the
so-called conservative “government” are negotiating with Germany
for the reestablishment of the monarchial form of government
with one of the sons of the Kaiser as the King of Finland.
Such plans and activities of the pro-German element in Finland
were deeply resented by the masses of the people, who well
understood that the influence of German autocracy in Finland
meant the destruction of all hopes of democratic evolution in
the country and were an incalculable danger to the revolution
not only in Finland but in Russia as well.
At the same time the illegal “government” of Finland did little
or nothing to alleviate the misery and hunger of the people.
Profiteering was allowed without restriction. Vitally necessary
social legislation was hampered and reactionary measures were
taken toward establishing oligarchical class rule.
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The revolution of January 1918 was organized and accomplished by
the labor organizations. The deposed government fled to the
northern part of the country and has succeeded in maintaining
itself, with the help of German-imported arms and soldiers, in
the most sparsely populated section, inhabited by about one
fourth of the people. The entire southern and middle regions,
comprising the most important industrial, economic, and
political centers, are in the control of the new revolutionary
government which is rapidly reestablishing order and asserting
its authority.
The provisional government of Finland consists of fourteen
members, named the People’s Commissaries, elected by the labor
unions, cooperative societies, and the Socialist Party
organizations. This government claims title as a provisional
government, acting until order is reestablished throughout the
country and until new elections are held and a new constitution
is adopted.
The provisional government is supported by a voluntary army of
workers’ militia, comprising from 100,000 to 150,000 active and
disciplined members. The authority of the new government is
upheld and supported by a powerful chain of organizations, which
in every town and village of the country, to some extent even in
the northern part, work in sympathy with it and temporarily
exercise the functions of local administration.
The provisional revolutionary government of Finland is in full
sympathy with the revolutionary government of Russia and in
active and close cooperation with it. Recently, I am informed,
the government of Russia signed a treaty with the provisional
government of Finland recognizing Finland’s complete
independence, even in the domain of foreign policies and
military matters excluded from the provisions of the act of July
18, 1917.
Unless the deposed government succeeds in subjecting the country
to the German autocracy, there is absolutely no chance of
depriving the workers’ organizations of the control of the
country. And even then the workers’ organizations of Finland are
determined to render the most desperate resistance to the
establishment of German autocracy in Finland. The power of the
workers’ organizations in Finland is by no means accidental or
temporary. Since 1905, when the laboring classes of Finland,
after long years of struggle, succeeded in abolishing the
reactionary feudal political structure and establishing
universal and equal suffrage, the Socialist Party has been in
steady ascendancy. In 1907 it held 40 per cent of the seats in
the Diet. This number steadily increased in subsequent elections
until in the election of 1916, which was the last legal
election, the party representing the workers’ organizations
secured an absolute majority of the Diet.
The reactionary policies of the opponents of the labor movement,
and their present policy of relying upon German autocracy in
their fight against the democratic institutions and movements in
Finland, have forever discredited them in the eyes of the
people. The popular resentment against the pro-German element in
Finland is increased by the fact that although the country for
the past ten years has had a liberal constitution in regard to
general political rights, the country has in many respects
remained extremely reactionary in its social institutions, as
the wealthy classes, so long as the legislative power of the
Diet was subject to approval by the Russian Government, always
used their influence with the Russian Government to thwart
progressive legislation of the Diet. Thus, for instance, the
agricultural system of Finland in many respects retains elements
of survival of medieval serfdom, the tenants being compelled to
pay rent in the form of compulsory service without regard to the
market price of labor. Public officers are appointed for
lifetime and the spirit of arrogant
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bureaucracy prevails in the public
offices. The laws, civil as well as criminal, have as their
basis the obsolete code of Sweden of the eighteenth century.
The struggle of the working people of Finland, a struggle which
has lasted for a century, against internal and external tyranny,
is in its present aspects a struggle for real democracy, for
industrial as well as political freedom, and for modern
civilization against medieval autocracy. I sincerely believe it
has a just claim upon the full sympathy on the part of the
democracy of the world.
Respectfully submitted,
[Enclosure 2]
Mr. Santeri Nuorteva to the Food
Administrator (Hoover)
Sir: Supplementing my conversations
with your office, permit me to submit the following facts and
requests with respect to the food situation in Finland:
Finland is starving.
For months the greater part of the three and one-half million of
the people of Finland have been without bread. Other foods are
scarce. Leeches and ground bark are the chief food of hundreds
of thousands of the Finnish people. Thousands have actually died
of hunger. Thousands are slowly starving to death.
Prior to the war Finland had to rely largely upon imported food
products. During the war the dislocation of commerce almost
completely cut off Finland from food supplies. With the
breakdown of transportation facilities in Russia assistance from
that country was reduced to practically nothing.
On top of the lack of food supplies from the outside, the crops
of Finland last year were much below normal, due largely to the
inability to import fertilizer, without which the soil of
Finland is relatively unproductive. While her suffering is equal
to, if not greater than that of almost any other nation,
Finland’s tragedy is so much greater because the world seems not
to have been able to pay any attention to her.
Acting on behalf of the provisional government of Finland, I
hereby respectfully call the attention of America to the bitter
need of Finland. Great as is the call for relief of the
war-stricken world upon the generous American people, the cry of
the Finns, we are sure, will not remain unheard.
Allowing one pound of grain per day per capita for five months
from the 15th of April, when the supplies possibly could reach
Finland if sent at once, to the 15th of September, when the new
crop will be available, the people of Finland would require
262,000 tons of grain, other foodstuffs being practically
exhausted. The available domestic supply being almost at an end,
the calculated shortage for the year was 140,000 tons; actually
it was much larger. Finland, to save herself from immediate
starvation, will need at least 40,000 tons within the next few
months. This need is urgent. Nothing but speedy help will save a
large part of the population from death by starvation.
The provisional government of Finland is able and ready to pay
for every pound of food, and I understand the most necessary
foodstuffs, corn, oats, and barley, are available for export
without inconvenience to America or her allies.
Yet there are many difficulties confronting the shipment of food
to Finland:
If the deposed Finnish government, now in control of the northern
section, more or less openly allied with Germany and aiding
German invasion of Finland, should be allowed to receive the
supplies, they might fall into German
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hands or be used in furtherance of
Germany’s military plans, or else only one fourth of the
population of Finland would get the benefit of the relief, only
one fourth of the population living in the area controlled by
the deposed government.
The government, which I have the honor to represent and which
came into power through the revolution of January 1918, is ready
to take full charge of the food supplies and to pledge itself to
distribute such supplies impartially among the whole population,
regardless of location or political affiliations. The
provisional government of Finland, however, has no desire to
involve the political aspects of the situation in the vital
problem of food for the people.
I shall be glad to assist arrangements which will offer to the
United States Government adequate guarantees that the food will
not fall into German hands and relieve the government of the
necessity of passing, in this connection, upon the contending
claims of the rival governments in Finland.
Leaving the way open to any other practical proposition, I
respectfully suggest the following plan:
- 1.
- A committee of well-known and reliable citizens of the
United States shall be formed for the purpose of
supervising and controlling all purchases and shipments
of such food supplies.
- 2.
- A similar committee of citizens in Sweden shall be
formed, possibly Under the chairmanship of the mayor of
Stockholm, and under the supervision of representatives
of the United States in Sweden, to cooperate in
conjunction with the American committee. The Swedish
committee shall receive and hold all food shipments and
apportion them in proper instalments among the
population of the country as a whole, regardless of
political affiliations and in a manner which will
prevent their falling into German hands.
- 3.
- All expenses of the purchase, shipment, and
distribution of the supplies will be borne by the
provisional government of Finland which I have the honor
to represent. If I am allowed freely to communicate with
the Finnish government at this time I shall be able to
establish credits in the United States fully covering
all expenditures involved in the transaction.
Respectfully submitted,
