THE STATE OF FINLAND.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLII, Issue 11445, 26 January 1918, Page 8

THE STATE OF FINLAND.

A NATION STARVING. -.RUBSO-FINLAND ENCOUNTERS(Anet. aud N.Z. Cable Association.) Received Jan. 23, 11.5a.ru. London, Jan. 21. Kiblman. formerly Attorney- ■ General -for Finl aid, visiting England in coiiiu'-uMUii with _ tlio re-iiei fund, said Finland •was on the verge cf famine. Twelfths of the 5 opulatioa were unable to obtain bread of any description, •flie food supplies available include Homo millions of kilogrammes of Iceland moss., which, lie declared, was -unfit for human consumption and u sm sll quantity of grain, but, altogether only b If of what was necessary to sustain life, itio ■Finlanders, be said, were threatened with destruction unless speedy help is available. The illicit supply of weapons’ to the lowest elements in the community was enabling them to rob and plunder, aud this aggravates the situation. Stockholm, .Tan. 24.

Frontier messages state that a reign of terror prevails in Finnish towns. A sanguinary encounter .occurred on Monday at Tornea, between Finlanders and Russian soldiers. '1 be latter, armed with machine guns and rides, attacked the town hall and arrested the Mayor and police commander. The Finlanders disarmed the Russians and forced the Rnssi-ms reinforcements to retire. Serious excesses followed. Two hundred Red Guards at Wibrog barricaded the streets, stormed -the factories and killed and wounded many people. The Red Guards and Socialists occupied the Government building at Helsingfors’and arrested several members of the Government aud all officials LABOUR DELEGATE TO RUSSIA The Socialist newspaper states that it has been decided to send a representative of the Militant Labour movement in Australia to Potrorgiid to partake in negotiations affecting revolution and for peace.