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Rh years, and, on July 25, Prof. Kaarlo Juho Stahlberg was chosen as the first president by 143 votes against 50 recorded for Man- nerheim. It was then that the Vennola Government, which was a coalition of the Progressive and Agrarian parties, came into power. Though it commanded only 64 out of 200 seats in the Diet, it marked a great administrative improvement from a democratic point of view. It introduced the Amnesty bill, which after a chequered career was passed by the Diet on Dec. 18 by 165 votes to 68. Its adoption synchronized with the abandonment of the Communists by the extreme Left. The de jure recognition of the republic was accorded by Great Britain soon after the instalment of Stahlberg.

The outstanding event of the year 1920 was the signing of a peace treaty with Soviet Russia, which after long negotiations was signed at Dorpat on Oct. 14, the military defeat of the Bol- sheviks by the Poles being a contributory factor. Pechenga was ceded to Finland, which thus obtained the much-desired outlet on the Arctic Ocean, while Russia retained eastern Karelia, where, after the collapse of Gen. Skobelzine's White-Russian front in Feb., fighting had occurred with Bolshevik troops with results satisfactory to Finnish arms. The treaty was approved on Dec. i by the Diet with only 27 dissentient voices and ratified on Dec. it by the President. Finland soon after was admitted as a member of the League of Nations.

Aland Islands Dispute. The question of the Aland Is. was, in its simplest form, whether the group of islands adjacent to Finland and inhabited by a few thousand people of Swedish extraction should belong to Sweden or to Finland. In its wider aspect, however, the whole network of islands which form the archipelago of Abo and that of the Aland Is. constituted the key of the defence of the coast of Finland and of the gulfs of Bothnia and Finland against attack from the west. In 1920, as in previous years, sovereignty was claimed over these islands by Finland on the ground that it was for her a question of existence, though autonomy was given to the Alanders and for the safety of Sweden the absolute demilitarization of the islands was conceded. Under such circumstances the question was referred on June 19 1920 to the League of Nations, and in June 1921 (see ALAND ISLANDS) its decision was given in favour of Finland.

BIBLIOGRAHY. Die Aalandfrage: das Kernproblem der Ostseepolitik (1918); Juhani Aho, Hajamietteita Kapinaviikoilta (1919); Ernst Brausewetter, Finnldndische Rundscliau (1901-2); Chesnais, La Guerre Civile en Finlande (1919); Raphael Erich, Das Staatsrecht des Grossfiirstentums Finnland (1912); Finnland und Russland: die Internationale Londoner Konferenz vom 26. Februar bis I. Marz 1910 (191 1); Die Finldndische Frage im Jahre 1911 (191 1); Finland, Hand- book No. 47, prepared under the direction of the historical section of the Foreign Office (1920); Finland im Anfang des XX. Jahrhun- derls (1919); Der Friedensvertrag zwischen Deutschland und Fin- land; General Graf Riidiger von der Goltz, Meine Sendung in Finn- land und in Baltikum (1920); Wilhelm Haberman, Schwedische Stimmen uber die militdrpolitische Bedeutung der Finnischen In- selgruppe (1916); Axel O. Heikel, Etnographische Forschungen auf dem Gebiete der finnischen Volkerschaftsn; R. Hermanson, Beitrag zur Beurleilung der staatsrechtlichen Stellung des Grossfiirstentums Finnland (1900); Volter Hilpi, Nationell sjaloprovning (1917); Yrjo Koskelainen, Mannerheim, suomenvapanttajajavaltionhoitaja (1919); " New Europe " Review, vol. iii., No. 30, vol. viii., Nos 93. and 94 (being the contributions by Rosalind Travers Hyndman), vol. vi, No. 67 (anon.), vol. vii., No.. 80 (by "V"), vol. xii., No. 155 (by S. E. Morison); Johannes Ohquist; Das politische Leben Finnlands (1916); and Finnland (1919); Olenev, Karelski Krai (1917); Peti- tion des finnlandischen Landtages vom 26. Mai 1910 uber Aufrechter- haltung der Grundgesetze Finnlands (1911); Herman Stenberg, Ost- karelien im Verhdltnis zu Russland und Finnland (1917); Heming Soderhjelm, Det roda upproret i Finland as 1918 (1918); Thure Svedlin, Kamp och aventyr i roda Finland (1918); Der Weisse Terror in Finnland, Beleuchtende Urkunden aus der Inter pettations- debatte im Finnischen Landtag den 30. April 1919; Treaty of Peace between Finland and the Russian Soviet Republic (1921); Georg von Wendt, Die Proportionswahl zur finnischen Vplksvertretung (1906) ; Konni Ziliacus, Revolution und Gegenrevolution in Russland und Fin- land (1912). (W. L. B.)

FINLAY, ROBERT BANNATYNE FINLAY, 1ST VISCOUNT (1842- ), British lawyer and politician, was born at Edinburgh July ii 1842. He was educated at Edinburgh Academy and University, and graduated in medicine. In 1867 he was called to the bar, in 1882 becoming a Q.C. and bencher of the Middle Temple. He was elected as Conservative member for Inverness Burghs in 1885, and held this seat until 1892. In 1895 he regained the seat, and was made Solicitor-General in Lord Salisbury's Government, when he was knighted. In 1900 he became Attorney-General, remaining in the Government until the Conservative defeat of 1906. In 1910 he successfully con- tested Edinburgh and St. Andrews Universities, and in 1916, on the formation of Mr. Lloyd George's Government, became Lord Chancellor and a life peer. He retired in 1918, and in 1919 was created a viscount. Lord Finlay received hon. degrees from various universities, and from 1902 to 1903 was lord rector of Edinburgh University. FISCHER, EMIL (1852-1919), German chemist (see 10.426), died in 1919. FISCHER, THEOBALD (1846-1910), German geographer, was born at Kirchsteitz, Thuringia, Oct. 31 1846. He was educated at the universities of Heidelberg and Halle, and at first devoted himself to history. A travelling tutorship directed his attention to geography, and he visited many parts of Europe in the pursuit of this study, but especially the Mediterranean lands, including North Africa (Atlas lands). The " Mediterranean region," perhaps the primary example now in the study of regional geography, is a conception the world owes to Fischer: his thesis for the rank of Privatdozent in the university of Bonn (1876) was entitled Beitrdge zur physischen Geographic der Miltelmeer- lander, and his most important publications are a collection of Mittelmeerbilder and his work on the Mediterranean peninsulas of Europe in Kirchhoff's Allgemeine Landerkunde. He held professorships of geography at Kiel (1879-1883) and at Marburg from 1883 until his death, which took place on Sept. 17 1910. FISHER, ANDREW (1862- ), Australian statesman, was born at Crosshouse, Kilmarnock, Aug. 29 1862, and began life as a coal-miner. He emigrated to Queensland at the age of 23 and eight years later was elected to the Queensland Legislature. He was Minister of Railways in the short-lived Dawson Ministry of 1899, and in 1901 was elected a member of the Commonwealth Parliament, retaining his seat for 15 years. He joined Mr. Wat- son's Labour Cabinet of 1904 as Minister for Trade and Customs, and when Mr. Watson in 1907 resigned his leadership of the Labour party Mr. Fisher succeeded him. In 1908 he became Prime Minister, but his administration lasted only six months. At the general election of 1910, however, his party was returned with a sweeping majority, and he was Prime Minister for three years, during which period he tackled the question of imperial defence, adopted Lord Kitchener's report of 1909, passed a measure establishing universal military training, and invited Adml. Henderson to visit Australia and report on its naval needs. In 1913 his party was in a minority in the Lower House and he therefore resigned in favour of Mr. (afterwards Sir) Joseph Cook; but at the special election of Aug. 1914 he was again re- turned to power and took vigorous action for Australia's parti- cipation in the World War. At the end of 1915 he resigned and took up the High Commissionership vacated by Sir George Reid. This office he held until 1921. He represented Australia at the coronation of King George V. (1911), and was that year sworn of the Privy Council. FISHER, HERBERT ALBERT LAURENS (1865- ), British man of letters and politician, was born in London March 21 1865. He was educated at Winchester and New College, Oxford, being elected in 1888 to a fellowship at his own college. After further study in Paris and Gottingen, he returned to Oxford as tutor at New College, and soon earned recognition as a scholarly historian. He delivered the South African lectures in 1908, the Lowell lectures in 1909, and in 1911 was Chichele lecturer in modern history. He was also a member of the royal commission on the public services of India (1912-5). In 1912 he became vice-chancellor of Sheffield University. In 1915 he was appointed a member of the Government committee on German outrages. On the formation of Mr. Lloyd George's Government in 1916, Mr. Fisher accepted the invitation to become Minister of Education, and was elected to Parliament for the Hallam division of Sheffield. In 1918 he became member for the English universities.