Page:Lars Henning Söderhjelm - The Red Insurrection in Finland in 1918 - tr. Annie Ingebord Fausbøll (1920).djvu/76

 bread, democracy and the crofters' emancipation." "The working-men's Red Guard Corps are evidently absolutely necessary for the protection of Finland's Labour class in these days." "At the last party meeting of the Social-Democratic Party there was not one who proposed to dissolve this Guard, or that the working-men should deliver up their arms. Therefore, let the bourgeois, who now scoff at the whole working-men's guard, and the Senate who wish to proceed to attack with an armed force, let them know that this would be to attack the working class of all Finland. Against such a threat the working-men must strengthen their Guard Corps."

The appeal is an answer to a resolution passed the day before by the officers of the Red Guard. In this the Red Guard demand the immediate summoning of a party meeting and put forward a succession of demands in connection with the shortage of food, unemployment, etc. "In order that these ends nay be gained, the political power should be taken over by the Social-Democratic Party. Before measures are taken to put the governing power into the hands of our party, the supreme administration of the Guard ought to be given over to a committee chosen in accordance with the statutes. If the situation demand it, the supreme command of the Guard should take the management of the revolution into its hands."

The revolution was thus decided upon by the Red Guard, and the Labour Party had submitted to the decision. The reason for this was simple enough. The Government and the majority in the Lantdag threatened to deprive the Red Guard of its power. Such a thing must not happen, and so the problem could only be solved in one way. The Government must be overthrown.

When in November the Lantdag resolved to take over the supreme power itself, no definite line was drawn