The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-10-19


II l. evidently with the design Of supplement- |
I'M. thut book with adequate account Of tho ,
most cons picuou- figure In TINT eventual con-
to5t that the Mcssrs. Putnam have issued IL |
HISTORY Of G"s'rr"S .idolphus. by JonN l.. S'rE-
VEINS. There are many minor faults Of execu-
ton in this work. and the part rotating to tho
German campaigns. which occupied. BIO 1t re-
mem Jered less than three years Of the subjects
life. will not DC greatly priced by those who
have Mt hand the translation ~ Gindey. But.
on the whole. Mr. Stevens may DO s,hd to have
carried out with reasonable efficiency the prin-
cipal purpose which gave hi book II reason ior
existence. namely. II thorough investigation pt
tho first nineteen years OF the reign III t'usti-
vus. during which he organized the Govern
ment and resources of his country. created m
army ont Of all proportion to its wealth aud
population and himself acquired u training l,y
incessnnt wars against the Danes. Iops.
and Russians. which contributed hnrdly
less than his GreHt natural genius to place him
in the foremost rank of commanders. More
than q third Of the volume is devoted to the IN
dispensable but too often slighted task OF de-
scrlbing the administrative reforms and the
educational campaigns which madc OF Gus
tavus at the age Of 3d. u consummnte general
and statesman. and marked him out to Eiciic-
lieu and every keen observer as the arch COM
Blatant against the house OF Austria.
Tho early age at which Gustavus acquired
dazzling reputation. coupled with his prcnia-
ture death and the meagreness OF the iuan-
cal and military resources NJ his DISPOSAL.
have more than once led historians to Compare
him with Alexander. The sudden apparition
OF the Swedish prctagonist on tho ne!d Of
Breintsniod was. indeed an event as startling
and revolutionary a. the young Maccdonans
victory at the Granicus and the triumphal
march through Germany was little less
teoric than that which ended at Ar
bella. But from an important point az
view the achievements of Gustnvus were
moro difficult and creditabe than tho-s
Of Alexander. Macedon like Sweden. wa, II
small and poor country. but the work of I'D
ministrative and military organization hud
been thoroughly ACCOMPLISHED when the son Of
Philip succeeded to tho throne. A matchess
instrument of conquest WIS roudy TO his hands,
and there is little doubt that Philip himself
would have welded 1t to equally large results
had he survived a few years longer. But IiuStu-
had all of Phillips work to DO before Il" could
venture to emulate Philips son. There was
q cloud upon his title. for his cousiu Si:is-
mund. King of Poland had boon crowned King
OF Sweden. and was the son OF tho elder brother
of Charles ~. the father Of Gnstavus. II hercd-
itary right was to count for arythtu,: undor the
Nasu dynasty. II rlninly belonged to nigis-
mund. On tho cast Finland was threatu;ird by
Russia. while in the south OF Sweden prCpnr
Denmark still retained soma OF this most fer
lilo provinces. beside. Elfsborg. the only
Swedish city on the North Sua and
| the important swedish city o! Camnr
on'the Baltic. When. in 1911. Gustayus, at the
! age of seventeen. received the crown. thcro WAS
! country in Europe which seemed ST. little
| likely to play a great role upon the Continent.
! At that time the teeming and ~ yot opulcn.
! States OF Germany no more expected tho adj
| vent of cunuueror from stockholm than
! Greece supposed al tho epoch OF the war upOu
| Olynthus that her master was ureudy born in
| MRcedon. Had Iiustavus died before he landed
in Pomerunia, his maine would still have been
eNtolled in Swedish annals though 1t would have
been far less familiar to the outside world a.
the foremost champion and greatest hcueilytOr
Of his country. Before ho threw his sword into
the scale OF German controversy he had
wrenched tho Danes from their last loohoi on
! Swedish soil and had extorted free access to
| tho North Sea: by conuuests in Livonia. Cour-
land. and East Prussia. he had almost com
| peteiy shut out Poland from tho Baltic. willie
Russia was walled ofY from that sea aud the Cuff
| Of Finland. the land where st. Petersburg: now
stands having boen made Swedish territory.
| These outlying conuueets. however. though
indispensable for political. commrrcul. and
strategic purposes cost for the moment more
! than they brought in their supplies of mon
| and money being moro than Offset by tho ne
! cessity of maintaining strong GARRISON The
| fiscal and military materials Of GustAyus wcro
! in fac. drawn exclusively from swoden proper
and Finland. which in 1890. it is computed.
did not contain more than million ana
n half of inhabitants. As late rs
1920 the regular revenues Of the Crown
in money and produce fell short OF n
| million American dollars Yet b. means Of u
vigorously enforced conscripton the peasants
being drafted into tho infantry and tho nobes
into tho cavalry-and by experimenting the
| normal taxes with all kinds Of eNtraordinury
| imposts and eNactions. Guotayus in twenty
years managed to force out OF this impover.
ished and feeble nation the most perfect mill
tary instrument that Europe had seen for
generations an instrument whose efficiency
long survived it, creator Perhaps the most
impressive proof OF the genius Of Gus
tavus is to be found IN the fact that
even the terrific strain imposed upon
the productive powers OF the country
and upon the blood aud sinsw OF its popula-
ton was. upon the whole. endured with ress-
nation and east no wiicsprcading or lasting
cloud on the Kings popularity On this head
Mr. Stevens quotes the conclusive testimony OF
Ogier. who made "a visit to Sweden In the win
ter of 1894 in company with the Frehch Am
hassador. In his journal Ogicr records That
me did not remember to have seen In tho
whols country any ono naked or In rags Peus-
,ut lads und iasses sprang g,adsomoly about
the sedses: and though he had free portage.
the country people We're prompt in forwarding
him on his way. He SAW the people in n church
ut Dalecarlia. and exclaimed. These country
folk are neither ragged nor hungry as with Us.
| Mr.. Stevenss narrative 10 free from the cant
with which tho relations OF Gustavas to the
Protestant cause In Germany have too often
been obscured. The purpose which really
prompted the King Of SwedOn's Intervention il
evidently recognized by the author though his
ali,lsions 10 ii are less explicit than could bs
wished. Gustavus WAS, above all things.
patriot. and In his heart his country held q
'arccr place than his religion Internationally