Election Year

In Helsinki last week, Soviet Ambassador Grigory Savenenkov entertained the Finnish cabinet at a showing of a Russian movie suggestively entitled Song of Siberia. That was merely one move in the week's kid-glove test of strength.

In another move, aging President, Juho K. Paasikivi had ousted Communist Interior Minister Yrjo Leino. Elections were coming and Finns who remembered Czechoslovakia did not want a Red running the police. To force the government's hand, the Communists called a general strike. Both sides could ponder the result: nearly 40% of the workers struck, but over 60% did not. Paasikivi patched things up by appointing Communist-Liner Eino Kilpi as Interior Minister, and Finland's No. 1 woman Red, Hertta Kuusi-nen, as Minister without Portfolio. The Reds called off their half-successful strike; the kid'gloves were still on.

In Czechoslovakia, there was no real need for gloves. The country had a Soviet-style election. Every voter had his choice --of one candidate. Premier Klement Gottwald called his election "the freest in the world." However, anybody who turned in a blank ballot would be considered a traitor. (The Reds won.)

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.