Page:Lars Henning Söderhjelm - The Red Insurrection in Finland in 1918 - tr. Annie Ingebord Fausbøll (1920).djvu/80

 for the maintenance of the police. The Government does not see its way, and has not considered it necessary at the present time, to suggest what means will be required for the organisation and support of a reinforced corps for the maintenance of order, but will give information on this point in the proposals submitted to the Lantdag concerning expenditure and revenues for the year 1918.

In view of what has been stated, and as the Government for the above-mentioned purpose will need more funds than usual, the Government expects,

The motion had every prospect of being carried in the Lantdag, the Labour Party, however, did as much as they could to delay the decision, and in the meanwhile to arm their Red Guard, for the state of affairs now began to be threatening. The proposal of the Government would in reality mean that the Protective Corps spread throughout the country were now to be changed into a Government Police Corps, whose activity could not be opposed with impunity. The proper moment for such a reorganisation seemed at last to have come. What with the renewed livelier action of the Red Guard, and the growing resentment against the encroachments of the ruffianly elements, disorderly encounters with arms were to be feared all over the country. It would thus be much better if all the good intentions to wipe out the anarchy were placed under one uniform guidance, even if one incurred the risk of what one would not have liked to risk before—civil war.

The outlines of an actual situation of war became more and more clearly defined. In the course of the first