It is impossible to say what laws concerning Finland will be defined as being of “general interest.”  Having regard, however, to the wide interpretation which Russian reactionaries are wont to put on the expression, there is every reason to suppose that the Russian members of the committee will insist on its extension so as to include every important category of law.

The Finnish members through their spokesman, Archbishop Johansson, declared that they proceeded to work on the committee on the assumption that in case alterations in the law of Finland should be found necessary, having regard to Imperial interests, such alterations should be made through modifications in the constitutional laws of Finland.  The Finlanders are prepared to do their duty by the empire, but, the Archbishop said:  “Sacrifices have been demanded from us to which no people can consent.  The Finnish people can not forego their Constitution, which is a gift of the Most High, and which, next to the Gospel, is their most cherished possession.”

M. Deutrich, who spoke on behalf of the Russian members, explained that any law resulting from the labors of the committee would not be submitted to the ratification of the Finnish Diet.

So M. Stolypin’s way was now clear.  The sanction of the people will not be required.  The Finlanders have practically no other help than that given by a consciousness of the justice of their cause.  They have no appeal.

In November of 1909 the Finnish Diet was dissolved by a ukase of the Czar.  Since then the Russian Government has been passing decree after decree for Finland, giving the constitutional authorities no voice even of protest.  So ends Finland.

MAN’S FASTEST MILE THE AUTOMOBILE AGE

A.D. 1911

C.F.  CARTER ISAAC MARCOSSON

On April 23, 1911, an automobile was driven along the hard, smooth sand of a Florida sea beach, covering a mile in 25-2/5 seconds.  And it continued for a second mile at the same tremendous speed.  These were the fastest two miles ever made by man.  They were at the rate of a trifle over 140 miles an hour.  As this record was not equaled in the three years that followed, it may be regarded as approaching the maximum speed of which automobiles are capable.  And as another automobile, in endeavoring to reach such a speed, dissolved into its separate parts, practically disintegrated, and left an astonished driver floundering by himself upon the sand, we may assume that no noticeably greater speed can be attained except by some wholly different method or new invention.