Because the newspapers have many times published about me insulting and slanderous publications in connection with the well-known incident of Saarenpuu, and because in the last article the originator of that whole incident, who initially remained behind the scenes, expressed himself, I also want clarify the matter.

Although Vänrikki (Estonian Lieutenant) Kallio is already made threats against me in Vedlozero Village and I never considered myself so flawless, but he would not have found in me the bit of accusations, based on truth, because, as it must be known now to Mr. Vänrikki, I have nothing to do in the whole Saarenpuu incident and the death verdict. Although Yrjö Saarenpuu brought himself under the death verdict five times, Not I, nor Military Court of the Second Battalion have not sentenced him to death, because Battalion did not have the right to execute the death sentence by its own decision. I wonder very much how Vänrikki Kallio, according to the newspaper publication, may have proved Saarenpuu to be innocent when it is impossible for him to know anything other about the case otherwise than hearing from those church robbers, with whom he seemed to be a good comrade, because the mentioned Kallio in the time of the whole series of crimes was in the Kanabrozero Village, which placed, according to my calculations, at least 50 versts from Vedlozero Village.

Although I have nothing to do in connection with this whole Saarenpuu incident other than obeying orders as a soldier and officer, I would nevertheless ask the general public and respected readership the following question: What would you have done when our white soldiers, who went to the Olonets Karelia to help the oppressed brothers, robbed and despised their most cherished, when the crying representatives from the Olonets Karelians came to commanders with accusations of what even the Bolsheviks had not done to them, when same gang of 11 men escapes from an critical place on the front-line, surrenders to armed resistance, and cuts off important telephone lines between the Regiment and the Battalion? All this was done by this 11-man gang, “by the collective decision”, which is itself an infinite military crime, and in all of these Yrjö Saarenpuu was involved. Already the blood of the many brave, decent boys who had already soaked the land of the Olonets Karelia in so many places, our boys who threatened enthusiasm and deep patriotism, who had come to the Olonets Karelia from the compression of noble and holy ideas, and not by the desire for their own profit and not by the desire to become a hero, and the threat to their bright and pure memory demanded that the dirty stain be removed in any way. It required for the lot of decent boys who had already fought blamelessly all the time and were still ready at the most critical moment to attack even the rubbish founded among themselves, and though the situation seemed even to me as hopeless, sacrifice the most expensive for the brotherly idea, inspired by which they went to expedition. The glory of those brave men, who fallen and still fought together with me, demanded compensation and it had to be realized by the command as well.

I am extremely surprised that Vänrikki Kallio, as an officer, descends to defend such 11-man gang, founded in the Battalion.

I hope that those newspapers whose program include publications in favor of public order and discipline, both in the army and elsewhere, will place my explanation in their pages.

Hyppölä, Jäger Captain
Aamulehti -newspaper, no. 217
September 21, 1919