Page:Lars Henning Söderhjelm - The Red Insurrection in Finland in 1918 - tr. Annie Ingebord Fausbøll (1920).djvu/117

 resolve to procure a commander-in-chief of the best quality, and a deputation is chosen which is to see the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian army, Krylenko, and the Russian Naval Minister, Dybenko, with the petition that one of them will, at least for a shorter period, take supreme command in Finland. This plan, however, is naturally relinquished, for, when later in the evening the meeting is continued after a pause, it is made known that Dybenko is expected at Helsingfors and so may eventually be persuaded. Now the General Staff have, however, collected all their energies and resolve that flying machines are to be procured, and that an army is to be raised at Archangelsk, as there are arms there as well as many working-men. This army is to fall into Finland from the North. Besides, a secret plan is to be formed for hunting out the weapons concealed by the citizens of Helsingfors. Every house throughout the city should be closely searched from cellar to attic. Then it is arranged how the next batch of arms from St. Petersburg is to be distributed, and, finally, as a reward for all the energy shown, a kind request is received from the greatest of all the Bolsheviks, from Lenin himself. The latter requests that a company of Finnish Red Guardsmen, "in the uniform of the Guard," may be placed at his disposal. The soldiers are to go to St. Petersburg without arms; they will be armed and supplied with food there. The General Staff, of course, agree to this, but are of opinion that the company should also be of use to its own army. Therefore, after the lapse of some time it is to return—this time provided with arms—and be replaced by a fresh company without arms. "The political aspect of the matter must be arranged by the Government," conclude the minutes.

Yet, the Russians sometimes make trouble. On the 19th February two different complaints are brought