TWO SEAS AT STAKE

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 180, 25 April 1908, Page 5

TWO SEAS AT STAKE

SWEDEN AND THE BALTIC. AN ANCLO-CERMAN AGREEMENT. TREATY ABROGATED. • . ' A GAME OF HIGH POLITICS. by TELEGKAPn—rnEss association—corynicni. (Rec. April 24, 10.30 p.m.) London, April 24. . Britain, France, and Sweden havo signed a document abrogating the Stockholm Treaty of 1855, as regards Sweden.' NORTH SEA. ' \ ' MAINTENANCE OF • STATUS QUO. (Rec. April 24, 10.40 p.m.) ■ - .London, 'April 24. The. North Sea Agreement between Britain and Germany, designed to maintain the . status quo in and about this.North Sea, has been signed in Berlin." ' A DIPLOMATIC DRAM'A. .; RUSSIA, SWEDEN, AND THE - ALAND.. • . v islands.The above cablegrams announce two new stages in the diplomatic dr&iqav of the Baltic , and the North Seas, which'li'as been in pro-' gress for some time among the greater and the lessor .Powers. "As regards the North Sea, it is a question of maintenance of status quo. The Bajtic question involves the special interests of Russia and Germany v iii that sea, 'and particularly.' whether Russia, 'shall Vbe allowed to fortify the Aland Islands, to the .discomfiture of Sweden. ' , The Treaty of 1855, ;which has been abrogated by the.'three signatory lowers,' Britain,/ France,, and Sweden, provided that Britain and France should guarantee the territorial'.integrity of Sweden and .Norway, which wore then united kingdoms. ■ : It was made during the : Crimean War, when Britaiin aiid France wore fighting Russia both in the Baltic; arid in the-Crimea. Sweden-arid-Norway in recent years liaye separ-. ated,! an'd'a treaty guaranteeing the integrity of Norway canie into force last. year. But in this case ,'the signatories are not- only Britain' and, France, but -Russia .and Germany as well. It is understood'that-Russia toolc -advantage, of the secession of Nonyay' from Sweden to press for a rearrangement of the Treaty of 1855. It' was contended that ■' thisFranco-British treaty guaranteeing' the united kingdom', bad, by. the. dissolution of. the union, lost its-force. [The Russian idea is,' no doubt,' a now treaty under, which' all the_ four Powers undertake joint responsibility with regard to Sweden, as • they- do already with, regard' to Norway.' _■ In fact, the contention was that Russia; and' Germany were determined to "como in." And,tho, abrogation of tho Treaty of 1855—tho FrancoBritish treaty—would seem to be a preliminary, step to that end. ■ . . , '• • But Russian designs aro reputed to have gone still farther. The : dissolution of the liiuon was ui'ged/ns a ground for a general rearrangement of Swedish treaties. This, of course, included the treaty of ISSG prohibiting Russia from fortifying'the Aland Islands. In Britain,, seconded by Franco, energetically'pressed'Russia" on the question of "the fortification of the Aland Islands, and finally'.succeeded in obtaining frvn the Russian Government ;a, special convention, signed: by; England, France, and Russia, in. which, it was declared'.'that.,the Aland Islands were hpti to. be .fortified;- or any military or naval establishment maintained , there. This convention was annexed to the Treaty of 'Paris (concluded on March 30, 185G), and jby Article' 33 of that treaty :was.,stated 'to have' tKe same' "force- '''ahS'-''validity' a£Vif' :t it formed a part thereof; Sweden was no party to; this convontion, b\it it is essential to Sived r i.sh; Russia' remains to this ..day,, under the solemn. obligation ./to 'England > and France which the 'convention created.' - ■■■'..

Sweden 'protests against the proposed fortification by' Russia of - the Aland Islands, which were taken by Sweden from ' Russia in 1809. Sweden says that fortifications,/would : menace her trade .witb.';hpr,;northorr\ '.provinces. The inhabitants of the islands"are of 'Swedish origin, and - speak . Swedish. Tho abrogation of the treaty.of 1855 does not, necessarily-mean the abrogation of..the;:freat.y. of 185G;: but' Sweden is,apprehensive. - '-. . p ; Many: peoplo i in' Britain,, are,,also apprehensive that Russia, and. Gerriiany are plotting, to make .the Baltic a-'olosed sea, .th'ough'"both those Powers repndiato the idea. It is said that Russia,- in the preliminary- negotiations, bullied Sweden, and cajoled the others. " Approaching the -Foreign Officei in ' Lpndo'n, the : Russian Foreign Minister gavo prominence. to the excellent .relations whiplr 'the lreaty about, and he also, in veilecj language, pointed out that it would be in Eng-' land s', interest :if -, a . friendly V'Power—and £ ranee s-friends are .Engljnd's-possessed ' a strong naval basp-dominating the Baltic.' But Jingland Tarried over mi auswor. '/lii-regard to 1 -France, tho Rnssian ■ Foreign-Minister Bad - no great woyry. He was suro of the' gOQd Vvill - to' follow the Russian 1 lead, 1 hero remained'-Ger-many, who might oppose a' modification of the naval status quo m;tho Baltic. Isvolsky made VIS , ll: 'to Berlin, trying to convince the.. German statesmen that a fortifying' of Aland would mean no . hostile demonstration. ±af' !n excl '9 ll P° f° r German neutrality on the Aland question, assured Germanv nf;R, ls . sian assistance if {ilio desired arrangements for the-mam part of the Baltic.". f' *?' , ? r ' In short, those,who; are apprehensive, in Bri>tain, fear that tho Baltic will become: if not'a the Nnrlr j n - G ?T l>ny is inclined/to regard r#^'iSswe#s' with regard tortile Baltic and'the'North-Seis-said that Great Britain had not proposed the present negotiations. 'He v added thrf there was no truth in the object' of tho proposed agreement with regard- to the Baltic was to create-a maro ciausmn. Tho German Government .had never-iit anv time contomplated any: such project. The proposed agreement with .regard to tlio; North ! ¥ea was maintain .. the status ".quo, and' rfe , represent' a solemn pledge - on. the part of. tho contracting' States 'that'' ..no .attempt would be made', iir any way "to alter the present condition of affairs:" .It'-was to : be hoped that an agreement in' this ' sense wou d materially conduce' to the' general Iran!: qnilhty and. the .maintenance: of'pMceV™' _The reporter of .the:-, committee, the--Centre' Deputy-Baron von Hertling, said.negotiations, ,no doubt, ctnnmaiided the ',n£ )ersal sympathies of. the German people- but in his npimpn Germany did not require -tho status mio to bo .guaranteed for her 'benefit by anybody, and an admission of this kind mighty be. interpreted as a sign 'of - weakne« .orpf a bad .conscience, '. He felt; that' the proposed agreement yas open to objectioh since ate the pre,sent. - juncture Germany's assent might bo regarded by hor enemies fessipn of guilt with reference to the'past " r c lo r '5? d ' 'Nabonal : - XibeVnl members of tho. committep concurred iA? this view}