ISOLATED BY SUBMARINES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXII, Issue LXXII, 25 May 1917, Page 5

ISOLATED BY SUBMARINES.

POSITION IN SCANDINAVIA

Mr R. C. Long, a special correspondent of the New' York Evening Post, writes as follows from Stockholm on February 28: —Several weeks after Germany proclaimed ncr new submarine policy the Scandinavian countries are still cut off from the Ally countries of West Europe and from all countries beyond the Atlantic. Business is paralysed. The great transit trafficbetween England and Russia, which had become part of Norway's and Sweden's economic life, has entirely ceased; and the special fast railroad service organised to meet Anglo-Russian passenger traffic has stopped. At time of writing, despite continuous negotiations of all three Scandinavian States with England on, the one hand, and with Germany on the other, with the aim of restoring at least a limited conditional steamship service across the North Sea, no one knows when normal conditions will be restored. Two day after the German "danger zone" decree was issued^ England offered Norway and Sweden to keen ooen at least one "traffic lane" across "the North Sea. It is an English interest to keep open this lane, 1 because England requires a short route to Russia, and further needs certain Scandinavian suplies, chiefly pitprops for her coal mines and the rich iron ores of. north Sweden which are shipped from the Norwegian port of Narvik. It is equally a Scandinavian interest, as a complete stoppage of overseas trade means for Sweden' and Denmark serious privation and for Norway complete starvation. By guarding the "trade lane" England will gain the use of Scandinavian tonnage, three-forths of which is now laid up m home ports and one-forth in Knglish and French ports. England, however, must make considerable naval sacrifices to protect the lane; and she expects the Scandinavian countries to give a quid pro quo in the services of their ships. The discussion about the quid pro quo is proceeding.

, NEGOTIATIONS WITH GERMANY 1 This is the cause of the delay. Meantime, the Scandinavian countries have been negotiating with Germany. Apart from the general protest against the "danger zone" made by the three northern governments, there is a specific grievance that, whereas provision was made for traffic between Holland and England, no similar provision was made in favor of any Scandinavian State. The German Government replied that any . Scandinavian who wished to visit England could go' through Germany and Holland, and that a passenger route from Sweden or Norway to England would benefit chiefly enemy, that is, English and Russian citizens. Later, in negotiations held in Berlin, Germany showed herself inclined to recognise a limited steamer traffic between Norway and England, this to serve all three countries; but she attempted to impose conditions. One condition was that the steamer should not carry through Anglo-Russian mails, and that they should not take English, Russian, or other enemy passengers. On this point the negotiations threaten to break down. VIOLENT CONTROVERSY IN SWEDEN. Sweden's Govei-Jiment is anxious to resume traffic. It has shown anxiety by driving a Bill through the Riksdag empowering the Insurance Commission to take greater risks than could be taken under the original War Insurance law. Then the highest permissible premium was 7 per cent. This measure has caused a violent controversy between the Germanophiles and the friends of the Allies." It is an Ally interest, as well as a Scandinavian, that shipping should be resumed; and; the Germanophiles, backed by almost tJie whole Conservative press of Stockholm, is against the insuring of the ships. The ostensible reason is that lives are being wantonly risked "for the sake of gain. Against this, the Liberals and Socialists, who are strongly proAlly, demand the resumption of traffic. They declare that resumption is a vital Swedish interest, point to Norway, which, has not suspended insurance, and predict, that if snips cease to cross the North Sea all Scandinavia will be ruined. Even now enconomic prospects are bad enough. Sweden is badly short of nearly every product. Over 200,000 tons of flour have been ordered from overseas by her food commission. If, as is hoped, England consents to transatlantic steamers being inspected at Halifax or Bermuda instead of at Kirkwall, Sweden will get the flour; otherwise she will starve. Sweden is hopelessly short of fats, butter, sugar, and copee. As regards wheat Denmark is in the same plight. Even before the blockade she was threatended with a grain, famine. And Norway is worse off still. She produces a much smaller proportion of food than her two neighbors; and in addition to the risk of receiving no wheat she sees her chief industry, which is shipping, lamed. In all three countries the fuel question is critical. The food-card system is to be extended to more and more necessaries. Railroad and local shipping services are being curtailed. In Stockholm only one street lamp out of four is lighted. In Christiania and Copenhagen the schools are partly closed; and there is threat of a complete lack of English-, textiles. Every day fresh branches of production are being brought under State control; but prices rise, and scarcity grows more oronounced, and even optimists admit "that there will be an economic debacle if the blockade lasts for six months. These conditions in part explain why the Scandinavian countries refused President Wilson's invitation to break off diplomatic relations with Germany. On mere military grounds the three countries are pierced not to enter the war except in defence of immediate and snecial interests. On economic grounds, the blockade has brought them rather nearer to Germany than before. Their policy is a question of power, not of sympathy.