The military committee of the Senate, i.e. the War Ministry, had been abolished in 1903, and their duties transferred to the committee of internal affairs. Senator Alexander Frey was in charge of military matters in Vaasa. Decisions concerning the army – apart from the general guidelines of action – were made in the army. Despite of their attempts the Senate was not able to take over in these matters. In foreign policy, however, the Senate pushed through their policy and decided that the German expedition, which was on its way to Finland, had to be accepted. Mannerheim would have preferred Finland to remain neutral in relation to the parties of the world war. After the arrival of the Germans it was difficult for Finland to convince the world of her neutrality. At the suggestion of the Senate Mannerheim nominated "his own man", the ex-senator, Lieutenant-Colonel Harald Åkermann (29 March), to act as his contact man in the Senate.

The President of the Senate, P.E. Svinhufvud and Senator Jalmar Castrén arrived in Vaasa from Helsinki on 24 March after a long round tour by way of Germany and Sweden. The arrival of the speaker of the Senate generated the idea all over the country that the position of the Senate would now be stronger. In practice, the Senate wanted to have their say in the appointments of the commanders too, but yielded to Mannerheim’s views.