New York State Joint Legislative Committee to Investigate Seditious Activities Finnish Information Bureau Seized Files L0033

New York State Joint Legislative Committee to Investigate Seditious Activities Finnish Information Bureau Seized Files

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Overview of the Records

Repository:

New York State Archives
New York State Education Department
Cultural Education Center
Albany, NY 12230

Summary:

The Joint Legislative Committee to Investigate Seditious Activities, known as the "Lusk Committee" for its chairman Clayton R. Lusk, seized these records in raids of the Finnish Information Bureau, a propaganda office set up in the United States by the exiled Red Government of Finland. Records include correspondence, texts of speeches, and articles from American and Finnish newspapers and journals. Records pertain to alleged atrocities committed by the White government in Finland and to events occurring in Russia during the period.

Creator:

New York (State). Legislature. Joint Legislative Committee to Investigate Seditious Activities

Title:

Finnish Information Bureau seized files

Quantity:

1.7 cubic feet

Inclusive Dates:

1918-1919

Series Number:

L0033

Arrangement

Organized into 2 subseries: Subseries 1, Original Seized Records, 1918-1919, 1 cubic foot, and Subseries 2, Photostatic Copies of Seized Records, 1918-1919, .7 cubic foot, are arranged alphabetically by topic.

Administrative History

While civil war and revolution were occurring in Russia, Finland, frequently under Russian dominion, revolted and declared independence. In January 1918, the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the People's Republic of Finland came to power as a declared Socialist government. Though short-lived, it established the Finnish Information Bureau in New York City as its official, though unrecognized, mission in the United States. The mission solicited support for this Finnish government and also promoted the interests of the Russian Soviet regime to which it was closely tied. The committee asserted that the Finnish Information Bureau went beyond seeking support for the Finnish government and that it really was promoting revolutionary doctrine in this country. The committee subsequently raided the bureau and seized a number of files in order to gather evidence about the bureau's suspected subversive activities.

Scope and Content Note

This series contains original and photostatic copies of files seized from the Finnish Information Bureau. The majority of the records consist of correspondence between Bureau Director Santeri Nuorteva and supporters or prospective supporters of the Finnish or Soviet causes.

A large portion of the correspondence consists of letters from Nuorteva to United States officials describing conditions in Finland and Russia and appealing for their political support. There is also correspondence regarding the many requests for Nuorteva to speak at local Socialist Party meetings throughout the country. In addition to the correspondence, the records contain texts of speeches, articles, reports, and press releases pertaining to conditions in Finland and Russia.

Some documents are in Finnish. Only a small portion of the photostatic copies duplicate the original records.