Le Nord : revue internationale des Pays de Nord - 01.06.1940, Page 90

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LE NORD
The political separation between Finland and Sweden pro-
duced also economic difficulties of another kind. Before 1809
capital had flown easily between the different parts of the king-
dom. This freedom of capital movements would no doubt have
acquired greater importance when the trend towards industrial-
ization became manifest about the middle of the century, and in
all likelihood there would have been a considerable flow of
capital from Sweden to Finland. As it was, capital movements
of this kind were partly obstructed by the political conditions.
Moreover, the fatal connection with the Russian monetary system,
which lasted till the i86os, involved Finland in currency distur-
bances, and that reacted for some time unfavourably on the
willingness of foreign capitalists to invest money in Finland.
The separation in 1809 also entailed difficulties of another
and probably more important kind. As long as both Sweden and
Finland formed parts of the same kingdom there had been an
active interchange not only of commodities and capital but also
of men. When about the middle of the nineteenth century the
industrial revolution was beginning to transform the economy of
the Northern countries, the need for able business leaders became
still more urgent than before. In Sweden the iron industry with
its great international connections had served as an admirable
educator of technicians and industrialists. In addition there was
a considerable influx of foreign business leaders. Thus Sweden
was comparatively well armed to take her share in the great inter-
national expansion about the middle of the century. In Finland
conditions were not quite so favourable. Finland at the separation
from Sweden possessed no very considerable class of industrialists.
In this situation the free intercourse of men and ideas across the
Gulf of Bothnia had been a great advantage. The need for co-
operation of this kind became still more pressing when the great
era of industrialization was drawing nearer. But the political se-
paration in 1809 had reduced intercourse between the two coun-
tries. If still active it was considerably less than before. The loss
could not be made good by Russia, where conditions were in
many respects different from those of Finland. None the less Fin-
land succeeded by degrees in creating a class of efficient business
leaders and industrialists, and if at first delayed, industrialization
later on developed vigorously. But about the middle of the nine-
teenth century and for some time afterwards the difficulty now
referred to was very perceptible.