THE NEUTRAL STATES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16581, 3 July 1917, Page 4

THE NEUTRAL STATES.

As the war progresses the maintenance of neutrality by European States becomes increasingly difficult. Queen Wilhelmina of Holland told the Dutch Parliament last week that the nation might yet be called upon to use force in defence of its liberties and independence; Norway was reported the other day i to be on the brink of war on account of a German official smuggling bombs into the country. All the maritime states of Europe are suffering severely from the German submarine campaign. They have had heavy shipping losses, considerable loss of life, and, in addition, they are called upon to endure food shortages, the end of which is not in sight. The report of the Scandinavian Parliamentary Congress, published to-day, shows that all this has not rooted out proGermanism in Sweden. Even in Sweden, however, public feeling has undergone a great change since the beginning of the war. There have even been whispers of a revolution against the Government and Court, which are both pro-German, and responsible correspondents have reported that two warships were recently anchored opposite the Palace to be available if the King and Queen are compelled to flee. In all the countries bordering upon Germany, pro-Germanism has become intensely unpopular. Indig nation at German outrages is increased by the knowledge that the

present high prices and short supplies of food are the direct result of huge exports to Germany for the profit of the pro-Germans. The strongest of the remaining inducements to neutrality in the neutral countries of Europe is fear of German revenge. This is still an active force in European international politics— a fact which of itself shows that no peace that could now be made would bring the security to small nationalities for which the Allies are fighting.