Le Nord : revue internationale des Pays de Nord - 01.06.1943, Page 189

REVUE LITTERAIRE
Chapter by chapter in the Liberté
créatrice intensifies the impression
of this background of devoted
peaceful work — and the tragedy
of the interruption by the war of
this bright, vigorous work. Most
remarkable, perhaps, is Professor
Hugo E. Pipping’s article “The
Country Makes Progress,” an ex-
pert account of “a rich and steady
development.” “The essential fac-
tors of the basis will undoubtedly
prove applicable and durable in a
new period of development when
at length this comes.” At the read-
ing of Pipping’s clear information
is drawn before us the picture of
new-built factories along the rivers,
of improved housing for the la-
bourers, in many ways a life of
colonizing, full of captivating oc-
cupation with facts. This leads on
to one of the most glorious chapters
of the book, Eero A. Vuori’s article
“Finland’s Social Face,” “in spite
of obvious imperfections” the pic-
ture of “a period of social progress
in the life of the nation,” — as it
says in the generally modestly ob-
jective, often quietly criticizing
tone of the book. Connected with
Vuori’s account is Vdinö Voion-
maa’s statement (in his chapter on
the national development of the
state) on the reconciliation in Fin-
land after the Red revolt of 1918.
Fascinating is the description of
Marshall Mannerheim’s contri-
bution to it. Already during the
military events in 1918 it was felt
far down in the ranks that his wish
171
was that of healing the wounds,
and that he felt a deep sympathy
for his adversaries. This, however,
did not prevent the rebels often
having to reap as they sowed and
themselves learning the significance
of their desorganizing the Finnish
legally regulated society. Not even
Mannerheim during the — actually
very brief — crisis at the liqui-
dation of the revolt possessed means
of coercion to prevent all individual
revenge. His endeavours and his
will in that respect, however, are
evident to any attentive student of
the course of events. Count Eric
von Rosen in the volume published
in honour of Mannerheim in 1942
has preserved memorable expres-
sions of this attitude of his and of
the Marshall’s view of free union
and reconciliation as the only basis
of the life and defence of Finland.
These are thoughts which, keeping
in mind the achievements and the
military efforts of the labourers of
Finland since 1939, we may refer
back to the period immediately
after 1918 and the establishment by
Mannerheim of the Children’s De-
fensive League and the words and
measures with which Mannerheim
in 1937—39 liquidated “the last
psychological obstacles to the com-
plete union of the people.”
Not least when faced with these
results of social work one shudders
at the destructive influence of the
war. Perhaps they more than many
other things are in the danger zone.
But one is fortified in one’s belief
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