SWEDEN MOBILISING

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXII, Issue 98, 25 March 1942, Page 5

SWEDEN MOBILISING

FEAR OF SPRING INVASION

LONDON, March 23,

Swcde.ii, fearing invasion in the spring, has ordered the complete mobilisation of her army.

Revealing this, the Daily Express adds that relations between iSweden and Germany have rapidly deteriorated lately, as shown L>y the violent abuse and threats from Gorman newspapers and the collapse of trade talks. Mobilisation actually started three weeks ago and has been screened behind big manoeuvres in Northern Sweden, but the reserves who participated arc not being released and more are being quietly called up daily. The final stage of mobilisation, which will mean the stripping of thousands of men from industry, is expected to be finished on April 9, the anniversary of the invasion of Norway two years ago. Sweden’s fleet is fully manned, arms j industries are working overtime, anti- j aircraft batteries are now manned 24 j hours a day, A.R.P. work is compul- j sory, Home Guards arc stationed at | frontier and coastal regions, and. shelters have been built for Stock-1 holm’s 300,000 people. Most stringent precautions have l been taken against spies and Fifth j Columnists after the arrest of two; Swedish Nazis who were trying to j transmit plans of the chief naval basej to Germany. Besides the German Press and radio campaign, Sweden lias three main reasons to anticipate attack: First, Hitler’s possession of her fleet.; would transorm the naval balance in [ the Eastern Baltic and alternatively the fleet could be used for ail assault against Britain. Secondly, it is recalled that the Germans bullied Sweden into allowing a division to cross her territory into Finland. Sweden has resisted all the j repeated demands lor the passage of j more troops. _ j Thirdly, to counter a British-Amcri- j can invasion of Northern Norway ior | the purpose of safeguarding the Mur-j mansk and Archangel arms route to' Russia it would be imperative for the j Germans to use the Swedish railway to Narvik.