The evening times., 1902-05-15


Gently initiated IN the Swedish
| 1 Riksdag in favor of the formal
! and permanent naturalization OF
the dual kingdom IS in one sense, per-
/ haps. not inherently OF Immediately i'm
| portant. says the London Post" 1t does
not appear to rest on any strong popular
| sentiment. and its prir6iple is hardly cen
/ sistent with that which underlies the
/ military administration and foreign policy
] OF the government. It possesses a
I symptomatic significance. however, as
/ illustrating the existence of a sense of
/ uneasiness respecting the maintenance Of
4 the national independence in view Of pos
/ sibIe eventuaIfties, and of willingness,
j which in the circumstances is not un-
natural, to seek refuge in an evasion of
/ national responsibility. Probably the
/ grayest aspect Of the action taken by q.
+ Hedin and his friends is that they do not
desire to conAne their project strictly to
their own country. Part Of the scheme is
/ ito make It possible cr Denmark TO as
sent to this proposal . and the sugse=tion
! has already eiicIted a favorable response.
/ DR.. Deuntzer, the Danish prime. minister.
! has brought the subject before the Folke-
thing, and. speaking officially. gave his
approval ITO the idea OF making a declara-
/ ton to the pexers that Denmark
wished to be neutral. and it vas prepared
5 TO show its desire for neutrality in its
/ action" ard he went -on to add that
simultaneous deciara1ions of neutrality
on the part, of Sweden Norway and Den
/
would have great importance lin mahty2 re-
/ speets."
So striking a statement reasonably stg-
/ gests inqu5ry as TO the meaning of this
/ plea for cc-operatve policy on the part
/ OF the Viking nations. the Justification for
its adoption, ana The advantages which are
/ expected to accrue from it. The primary
explanation Is q geographical one By
their situation at the sound. Denmark and
Sweden hold the key 10 the Baltic. a
point of vantage of immediate value But
the military resources Of the two coun-
tries are so sadly ineommensurate with
the potentiaIities of their possession that
I the position has gradually assumed an
/ iDconvenient Importance for its owners,
more especially as II has become an. OBJ
ject Of attraction 10 a great nefghboring
power OF course, such a situation is
fraught with dangerous possibilities, and
It is, therefore, QUITE sinteIIigibIe that
certain tfmid section of politicians In
Stockholm and Copenhagen shnuId be dis
posed TO look fer safety under the shelter
of the blessed word neutrality. It is doubt
ful whether or not the assumption of an
ostentatiousIy neutral attitude would
really avail anything in the event of a
crisis. Nice customs courtesy to great
kings" and in the long run the rights of
neutraIs are only respected when they
do not stand in the way or when they have
some defensive force behind them. The
combined resisting capacity Of Sweden.
Norway and Denmark is no doubt limited
enough, but such as it is it would prove
far more effective for practical purposes
than the mere paper clauses of self
denying ordinance which no intending
enemy would 15el bound to recognize
The apprehension OF attack is by no
means destitute OF foundation. It is part
of the declared Russian tradition to push
for the open sea, and this holds true of
the Atlantic, as well as of the Pacific,
the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean.
Asnong the titles of the Russian crown is
that Of heir Of Norway, and its realization
is regarded as only in allegiance. Swedish
Finland was added to Russia In 1903, q
thousand square miles of Norwegian ter
ritory was acquired in 1876, and in f847
negotiations we're in progress for the
transfer of the Varanger ford and the
province of Finmark. Russian designs on
Scandinavia were al that time regarded
so seriously that in 1855 a treaty was en-
tered into between France and Great Brit
ain and Sweden and Norway, by which
Sweden and Norway promised not to cede
anything 20 Russia, the two ether sigma
tories undertaking 20 furnish to his Maj
esty the King of Sweden and Norway suf-
ieient naval and military forces for the
purpose Of resisting the pretensIons or
aggressions of Russia" It is interesting
to note that this treaty is stin technically
operative. The Varanger ford has de-
clined in value as possible naval station.
but the new Port Victoria. on Ofoten Bay.
forming the western terminus of the rail-
way through the Genivara iron mines
from the Gulf Of Rothnia TO the Atlantic,
would furnish an admirable substitute.
and it is doubtless in consideration of
this fact that the Swedish government. in
1888. expended nearly 100000 kroner in
erecting fortress at Boda within the
Arctic Circle. Since then further meas
ures have been adopted for securing ths