The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-07-31
SCANDINAVIA AND THE BELLIGEgENr
p.lWERS


From the United servi,e Magazine Londoa) July Io]
The policy Of the Scar dibayisn Staes la tho
struggle which win ere iosg have commenced in
earnest In the Baltic or East Ses, the waters of
which wash their coasts, - Of paramount impost
snce. The craving ambition or Russia, though more
apparent In IL Eat, hes not been confined to
Turkey. The affairs Of the East are better known
in Europe than those Of the North; and this ex-
I'll ms the want Of attention, almost Amounting TO
Inc ineIence, which has been manifested wirh rgsrd
10 the policy and rlstive pc itjon of Sweden and
NOwsy, aid even OF Denmark, IN the great Eu-
ropean pr hty. Russia has steadily though quietly
increased her influence In the whole of the north Of
Europe, extending It no; only through the Scan
dinsvsn States but into the very heart u Germany
By the ire atty Of Fnedrichthsm, mgued on the l7tn
September, 1909, Sweden handed over to Russia The
whole Of Finland o. far a. the rivers Trnca and
Muonio, with the Aland islanoas Owing TO the
universal state Of war In Europe, the importance
Of the concession was not fully appreciated At the
time. st t
By this treaty Russia acquired race Of sailors 70
man Der fleets, timber 10 build her ships, and ports
to hold them. Finland covers an area Of 6.40O
square miles, with population of l397.03s souls.
It is divided into eight districts or governments
l, NyaDd, with the capital Of Finland, Helsingfors:
2, Abo Bjcneborg; 3, Tawasshus; 4. Wiborg; s, 81.
Michael; 8, Kupio; Z, Wosa; and 8, Ulesborg, ka-
lana, or East Botten, and LspAnd.
or the population Of ,397 ,0ss inhabitants. 1851,
0c0 are FiDlanders, hiefy S1edcs and Germans,
So O3S aIe Russians Of the Greek Orthodox Church.
The mpotsbee Of the concession made TO Russia may
be t1emph6ed by Hels,ngfo,s. At the mouth OF the
Gulf Of Finland, partly on the sho ., partly on the
bjah around lear hes the capital Of Finland. with
population Of 5000. Helsinsiors has become mos
only y great con nercal harbor, but one Of the
strongest f,rtiesscs Of the Russian empire. At the
pr, sent NONE Lit its naval port, Sseaborg, Offers
slefttr to squadron Of the Russian Baltic feet,
carflly watched by Sir Charles Napier. Here ais
IL stationed the much talked Of SctecrenAotte, or
euD.hoat fotills of the Russians. Various lines Of
.tcs mers and ealing AFT ply when the navigation
is fee, between HesiDsfon, st. Petersburg, and
Pevel. Swesborg has a garrison Of 5000 men.
Fir land possesses moreover thirty greater or lesser
ports and commercial harbois In the CULTS OF Fin.
Iand and B IT The soil hsren; the country
s,sd ~ Win I,as' o. which Lake ISdSgs Y the
.iss chic IN their COAT fshcres but agriculture
Is carried on diligently wherever Il u practicable.
To certain extent, Finland VAS the grsnsry OF
exported 10 Sweden, an expiration which y still
Guaranteed 10 Sweden free Of dcfy BY the treaty o.
Fnedrchtham. t.
Not satb fed with these advantages, Russia, true
10 her hereditary policy, endeavcred to extend her
I,evail Il the courts Of Stockholm and Copcnhs-
zen. BY the possession Of WarAw, Russa stands 1t
the gates Of Berlin; as by the possession Of Finland
snd The Aspd islands, she s ct the gates Of Stock
holm. Russia rossesscs reversionary claim 10 the
.ibrone Of Denmark, where Russian influence Ii 30
strong that the King beststed To receive the visit
Of Sir Charles Napier for fear Of offending the Gar
TIE Russian feet IN the Bsltic was In itself sufficient
before the spl eaance Of The combined English and
French fleets, 10 ave into submission the surround
ing Stses. In ls4s, Russis made an offer 10 Sweden
30 tsbt the island Of Borbbolm in exchange for .
heavy loan. The offer trsnsprcd and at the time
citai, ertat tensstion, not 10 say serious alarm
in tie north Of Germany, a. II betrayed the deter
mipatsn OF Russia 10 make herself, II possible, mis-
tfsfe OF the Sound
With these data TO 30 upoa IL Il to be hoped that
not be neglected, ~ curb the ambitions designs Of
Rufsia and 10 ton0bc ber within her proper terri
torial lmiis. II il golden opportunity which may
not oc, or again. AZ yet, the government Of King
Oscar has cor fined Itself TO declArAtton q neutA
~, Which has been adntsasd by The bslligsrent
powers Symptoms have, however, already mani