Page:Lars Henning Söderhjelm - The Red Insurrection in Finland in 1918 - tr. Annie Ingebord Fausbøll (1920).djvu/94

 acknowledgment of all that our Russian comrades have done for the liberty of our People, for our independence, for our liberation from oppression and oppressors, they are flouted and called criminals, and on them is thrown the blame of all the shameful outrages for which our ruling class is itself to blame."

And now what in the last instance did the authority do which before all could have mitigated the consequences of the now unavoidable civil war, what did the Government of Russia do to prevent their troops from fighting against Finland's lawful force for the maintenance of order?

When the representative of the Finnish Government on the 26th January applied to the "Commissioner for Military Affairs," i.e., the Minister for War, Pokrovski, he stated: "According to information received at St. Petersburg, the social revolution in Finland has begun. In consequence of her principles, it is the duty of Russia to support the proletariat of Finland in its struggle against the Finnish bourgeoisie. The Commissioner has sent the Finnish Red Guard assistance in Finland, and will continue to do so."

So then the die was cast. Finland's people had to choose between destruction in the Russo-Red maelstrom, or a fight for life and liberty. She chose the latter alternative, and was victorious. But the fight which went before the victory was cruel and sanguinary. This is made clear to us by a quick glance at the rule of violence of the Red during the following months.