Page:Lars Henning Söderhjelm - The Red Insurrection in Finland in 1918 - tr. Annie Ingebord Fausbøll (1920).djvu/120

 opinion has arisen that whether they may get leave or they may not they take it of their own accord, and yet they know very well that if they leave the front the butchers will get free access to conquer perhaps the whole of Finland, murder the working-men, and drown the revolution in blood." Then follows an urgent exhortation to stay at the front.—On the 9th March a committee is appointed at Helsingfors to investigate where all the troops from the capital had gone, as it was only known that they were dispersed along the front and entirely lacked officers. The committee departed, but a member reports that already on the way out a quarrel arose, and it dissolved.—The Commander-in-Chief on the West Front is subjected to an examination on the 1st March, because he is seldom sober, and has therefore led the troops astray.—On the 5th April the order is issued that the staff at the front in Syvälahti are to have 50 litres of brandy "for a special purpose."—A troop starts for the front, but discovers on the way that it has two "Commanders-in-Chief." In order to settle the question about the supreme command, the two field marshals take hold each of one end of a rope, and pull with all their might each in his own direction. The victor becomes the real commander-in-chief.—The commanders and the men were often of different opinions. There is a swarm of protests and complaints. As an example, the following extract from the minutes of a meeting held by the men of the motor-car department may be communicated: The demand of the commander-in-chief, Salminen, that the chief of the motor-car department, K. Siintola, should be removed, if the worst came to the worst by force of arms, was brought under discussion. Many opinions were expressed, and it was unanimously agreed to administer a severe reproof to the commander-in-chief for his shameful conduct to