A GATEWAY

Grey River Argus, 30 August 1939, Page 3

A GATEWAY

That Hitler Covets (By Bjiorn Thorvassen.) (Our North European correspondent) The Aaland Islands from a group of about 80 inhabited and about 1,000 uninhabited islands situated between Sweden and Finland. Though they are inhabited by Swedes, they have belonged to Finland since 1921. Their strategic position makes them the key to military control of the east Baltic Sea. For this reason their demilitarisation and neutralisation hate been regarded as a general European interest for nearly 100 years. By the Treaty of Paris, which followed the Crimean War in 1856, Russia was compelled to demilitarise ana neutralise the islands (which she had obtained from Sweden in 1809. Though the islands remained demilitarised from 1856-1914, they were fortified by Russia during the Great War in order to prevent a German occupation. Immediately after the, war, on December 30th. 1918, the Soviet' Government agreed with Sweden and Finland to demilitarise them once more. On Oct. 20, 1921 a Commission of the League of Nations reached a general European agreement by which j this demilitarisation should be recognised as permanent, and by which the neutralisation of the Islands should be internationally guaranteed. Of all the Baltic countries only Russia was excluded from this agreement. In view of the growing German threat to the Baltic, it is now more than ever in the general interest that the demilitarisation and neutralisation of the islands should continue. Finland, however, wishes to end this demilitarisation by fortifying the islands] herself. With Sweden she recently brought the matter before the 105th session of the League Council. In view of the vital strategic interest of the Islands tt» her, and because she has not been consulted by Finland on the matter, Russia -asked that the League should defer consideration of the proposal till Finland had informed Russia of the significance of the intended fortifications. To this the League agreed. Russia fears that having fortified the islands, Finland will not be in a position to defend them, and that they will therefore fall fully fortified into the hands of Germany who will then be able to use them to dominate the whole of the Baltic Sea. (It is to be remembered that at the end of 1917 Germany did in fact occupy the islands and used them as a steppingstone to full military intervention on (he Finnish mainland.)

These Russian apprehensions are now shared also by the Swedish Government, which has provisionally withdraw its support from the Finnish proposal. It is important to note Inat from the start the Aaland islanders themselves have been’ strongly opposed to the Finnish proposal. |