SWEDISH DEFENCES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 41, 18 February 1911, Page 14

SWEDISH DEFENCES.

— ■ -8»» ~ COMING INTO LINE. Sweden, like greater Powers, Is preparing to strengthen her national defences; and the Russian encroachments on tho liberties of Finland and the memory of the Aland Islands scare of 1908, which was not wholly allayed by the Baltic Agreement, have apparently reconciled all parties except the Extreme Left to the prospect of additional burdens. According to tho Westminster Gazette, the report of the commission appointed in 1907, in view of the altered conditions set up by the severance of Norway, is now before the public. Its salient feature appears to be the supersession of the old coast defence fleet by a^ new squadron of greater striking force. The old cruisers, tho largest and most modern of which, the Oscar 11.. of 4275 tons, was launched in 1904, are to b© replaced by four new cruisers of 6800 tons each. There are also to be four new destroyers, and additional torpedo boats. The new squadron is not to be complete till 1918. and the average annual expenditure requisite is given at 6,200,000 kroner, or £344,500, which seems a very model ate amount. The Army, which is practically a national militia, is to be further reformed, and the time of training, now varying from 187 to 250 days, to- be raised to 365, which presTimably means luat it will run over into another year. The reorganisation is to be completed in 1920. and the additional coEt is to be nearly 25 per cent., or about £1,000.000 annually.