Vote of Confidence

The Finnish presidential election campaign was accompanied by threats and rumblings from Finland's massive neighbor, Russia. Last week the phlegmatic Finns ignored the threats, gave a vote of confidence to tough, 79-year-old President Juho Paasikivi, the symbol of their independence. When the presidential electors meet on February 15, Paasikivi can count on 171 votes. The Communists made gains in the popular vote, but won only about 22% of the electoral vote. Paasikivi will form a new government on March 1, probably a coalition of all non-Communist parties.

The election over, Paasikivi sent off a stiff answer to the month-old Russian note accusing Finland of harboring Soviet "war criminals." Finland, said Paasikivi, "is entitled to reject categorically the assertions that Finnish authorities have supplied war criminals with faked documents."

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