NEUTRAL KINGDOMS

Evening Post, Volume XC, Issue 42, 18 August 1915, Page 10

NEUTRAL KINGDOMS

THEIR GOOD-WILL SOUGHT BY COMBATANTS SWEDEN, NORWAY, AND DENMARK. During the terrible war, the three kingdoms of the North, more than ever before, have been the objects of overtures from Germany, Russia, and England, because Scandinavia, in spite of its triple-headed character, is a military factor to be considered. Meanwhile (states a despatch from Copenhagen, published in the New York Evening Post), these Powers are neglecting practically all of the protests of Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish origin, notwithstanding the identity_ of the Scandinavian notes — protests against the torpedoing of merchantmen, against laying an embargo on cargoes imported from America "for home purposes," and against a censorship of cables to and from the United States, which would be too rigorous and disagreeable for Scandinavian trade. Scandinavia has been despised because she is not as important from a military standpoint as she might be, despite the strategic importance of her enormous territories situated in the middle of the waters, where England ( Russia, .Germany, and France come closest to each other The Scandinavian countries have been too anxious and jealous over home sovereignty to dispute differences in sym^ pathies, aspirations, and interests with outside countries. However, it would not matter did the Powers "only despise," but they are outraging her too, sometimes to such an extent that it almost looks 'as if their intention was to entice the governments as well as the people of the North into committing some imprudence, which would be used on occasion ac a casus belli. SENTIMENT IN SWEDEN. Considering especially Sweden, during the last winter, the German diplomats promised that, if she would give up her neutrality in favour of Germany, she would receive part of Finland and other favours, but these offers were rejected by the Conservative Party. In a pamphlet recently published by an editorial committee of representatives of all the parties of Finland, it is advocated in a most explicit way to strike a blow for the sake of her former independencies, but' Sweden thinks that other means can be used to secure the liberation of Finland. ' An astonishing document was recently published by a Russian engineer, ,Emeljanoff, written evidently under the auspices of the Petrograd Government, which says concerning the pressing forward of Russia towards the Atlantic and the future of the Russo-Swedish relations that nobody in Russia, at any time, either in press or lecture in any institution of the Empire, spoke about the necessity of Russia's seizing Narvik, or some other part of the Norwegian coast. The Swedish people, however, feel extremely annoyed because of this attention, for they see through this diplomatic talk 'and they wish to keep peace. On that account the requests of the Finlanders have been rejected by nearly the whole press. As for the Russian overtures, they are neither rejected nor accepted, because Sweden wants to continue friendly mercantile relations with Russia, even, if necessary, at the expense of Germany. SWEDEN'S MITITARY POWER. Sweden is a military factor of some importance compared with Denmark and Norway, where the Socialist party advocates anti-militarism. The necessity of a first-rate defence has never been disputed between the different parties in Sweden; for the Socialist party in Sweden is militaristic. For the_ past decade Sweden has spent per capita more money than any other State for the purpose of defence, and can mobilise a well-equipped army of about half a million men. Furthermore, the navy, though it 'is not great, is composed of high-class material ; moreover, the kingdom is able, if necessary, to provide .all materials of war. Popular contributions have raised 400,000 crowns for a fleet of airships, 200,000 crowns for machine-guns for the militia, and 16,000,000 crowns, collected penny by penny, for the battleship "Sweden," first of a 1 class of greater ironclads, which was recently launched at Gothenburg. By such collections Sweden will be able to maintain the independence which from ancient times she Tlas held.