Show r l Other ther Points of View View 1 II FINLAND I FREE Both France Franco and Germany having baYing recognized the independence In- In dependence of ot Finland there seems to be bo no Impropriety In n considering the liberation an accomplished fact Tho The can consistently no objection Whatever er course ma may be followed ed In urging or com compelling tho the other to Join a Russian cont confederation Finland must In InJustice injustice Justice be permitted to go her own wa way The Tho Finnish status Is Ig different from Crom the status of an any other er part of ot the tho old Russian Russian- empire The Tho Finns arc are not only Russian non-Russian the they are arc also non Slavic Never h has s there here been an any legal union between Finland and Russia The Tho efforts of the Romanoff autocracy during luring the tho past half century to Finland and to destroy tho the Finnish national spirit were more unjust and dishonest than similar Russian efforts elsewhere Other unwilling Russian subject people were brought by conquest under Russian power Finland was never novel even conquered Theoretically tho the union between Finland Finland Finland Fin Fin- land and Russia was purely d dynastic Finland while maintaining her complete Independence accepted the Romanoff czar as her hereditary grand luke duke It was an ah arrangement similar to that existing existing- between Austria and Hungary Gradually and Insidiously the Russian imperialists proceeded proceeded proceeded pro pro- to destroy Finnish independence One Ono by ty one the rights of ot the tho people were abrogated It remained for the tho czar who now no tarries In a Siberian monastery to promulgate promulgate gate the most offensive decrees for the tho extinction of Finland Finland Fin Fin- land and as an an- independent an-independent state tate but even Nicholas II could not accomplish an actual union Finland Is II not therefore to be considered as a case parallel to the Ukraine White Russia the Crimea Crimen Siberia or even Poland She Is an unconquered nation which never relinquished her Independence Recognition of Finnish Independence there therefore tore can properly be bo no affront affront af aC- af- af front to Russia especially ll to a democratic Russia Russin France takes tho the stop because Its logic Is unassailable and Germany Ger Ger- ninny many follows to make mako a sho of liberalism where It cannot cannot cannot can can- not harm the German prospects Poland and the tho other liberty seeking provinces pro of Russia must establish their governments and prove pro their ability to take care caro of oC them them- selves In tho the case of Finland the tho removal of ot the Romanoff Ro Re- manoff grand duke automatically restored the fact as aswell aswell well as the theory of Independence Cleveland Cleveland Plain Dealer Deater fa 11 ISA to |