The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-04-19
Correspondence of The Journal.


East" Public consciousness is getting
more and more alive to the fact that the
sudden change in the treat ment OF Fin.
land on the part of Russia must mean
something-that it cannot be from mere
senseless brutality and hate OF freedom
but that it means a move westward, to-.
wards the Atlantic on the part Of the
Russian colossus. The new English-Jap-
anese treaty makes the issue still more
significant. If Russia finds her progress
baked in the far east by two such powers
as Japan and England may she not want
to secure a formidable portion in Eng
lands rear on the Atlantic coast of Nor
way?
The Finland that was, with it's seml-ln-
dependent administration, with it's nation
al army, its western civilization and
sympathies was a bar to the advance OF
Russia on the Scandinavian peninsula
and source of comfort and protection to
Sweden and Norway. The Finland that is
to be in the very near future. mere
province of Russia with Russian officials
and police, garrisoned by Russian troops,
with a system Of Strategical railways con-
Meeting the Finnish border against Swe-
den and Norway with the interior of Rus
STA and the projected bridge across the
Newa with military posts and magazines
near the frontier, an attack on Sweden
and Norway which previously would have
taken weeks now will be reduced to few
days. 1t is even now possible for Russia
quietly to mass large bodies of troops in
Northern Finland which in the course Of
a few hours would be across the border
to make a dash for the coveted position
on the Norwegian sea- board.
The Railway Highway.
The Swedish government has been alive
to the danger for some time and Swedish
engineers are busily engaged on erecting
formidable Notifications at Boden, the
point of junction between the Great
Northern railway of Sweden and the new
railway from Narvik on the Norwegian
coast, which is to be opened for traffic
Jan. 1, 1903. AS the new Finnish railway
from Uleaaborg to Torreaa is to be COM
pleted by the end of the present year there
will be only few miles distance between
the termini Of the railway systems of
the Scandinavian peninsula and of Rus
STA. But while the Boden fortifications
properly equipped and manned, should
prove an effective check on a Russian ad-
vance in northern Sweden. Norway has
as yet done nothing to protect its frontier
against Russia. Money has been appro-
priated quite literally for fortifcations
which are now under construction. on our
borders against Sweden. We are strain
Ing every nerve to protect ourselves
against our natural allies, while no at
tempt is made to Illustrate possible de-
signs on our interests on the part of Rus
STA ~
The Russian Move on the Atlantic.
How far those designs have advanced
none can tell. Russia has a reputation
of hiding her time and doing nothing pre-
maturely. The western coalition against
Russia was broken long ago. France is
her staunch friend and ally, England is
losing her prestige and it Is not incon-
ceivable that Russia might find that the
to ka hpr
bold advance on the Atlantic. England s
financial and military resources have been
taxed severely in the unfortunate African
war and France could be relied upon to
tie up a considerable part of the British
navy. When once good position on the
Atlantic coast is secured and fortified
Russian endurance can be relied on to
hold it against very strong force.
Russian Spies.
Alarmists have not been wanting in this
country of late to predict that such things
as these may come to pass in the near
future. Our papers this winter have been
full OF accounts of the movements OF
supposed Russian spies in all parts Of
the country. They generally appear in
the guise of saw-sharpeners, hunting fol
jon. Some of them probably are bona
fide workin gmen and Bobrikoffs Finnish
p paper tries to explain their presence In
Sweden and Norway on the presumption
that they are men who formerly were
working in Finland but who now on &C
count of the strained relations between
Firms and Russians find it hard to gel
anything to do in Finland and therefore
wander farther west in guest Of work
But it has been remarked that many Oh
these men have surprisingly military
bearing, that they are very we'll provided
with money that they show great ia
miliarity with maps and take remark
able interest in strategic points and for
titled places, etc.
Recently a story went the rounds Of thu
papers that one of these saw sharpener:
had called for a lob at "a house where hi
met the daughter of the house who recog
ntzed him as Russian officer with whom
she haid danced at ball in Berlin. An
other story was to the effect that Nor
wegian who has spent many years IN Rus
STA end is perfect master of the Ian
guage had fallen in with some of thes'
men and that they, taking him for
Russian, had limited to him that the.
we're well supplied with money by tn
Russian government and that they Wer
detailed on special service in the Scan
dipavian countries. The former stor.
has been proven untrue and the latte
does not seem to be very we'll authenti
Gated Them short time ago among tn
papers of an abscondine Norwegian at
torney was found an application from Mn
to the Russian foreign office for suit
able place in the Russian service ana
reply directing him to the diplomatic rep
resentative of Russia in this country
This probably simply means that the mar
finding his position in this country un
tenable wanted to secure some positio
In Russia, but in the present state 9
feeling i. has ,heer taken to mean tina
the man was trying to sell his service
to Russia as a traitor to his country.
A Swedish sensational paper has mag
nifled this occurrence into c1wunl
stantiaI account Of high treason IN MOI
way and specific charge that within tn
last few years several million ru0les
corruption money have been expended
Norway by the Russian government.
Reside this, in Stockholm, rumors nav
been current of secret cabinet meetlng
of the sudden dispatch of a hlgn dlplo
matte emissary to some continental po"e
etc Such rumors, even II there pc noun
ing in them. indicate that both in Swede
and in Norway the public is gettir
alarmed And recent articles in Engls
and German papers show that the idea {
possible Russian move toward the Al
lantic is not regarded an utter impos
sibility.
The Norw egian authorities and the MOI
wegian press have been very careful NJ
to do or to say anything which might 20:
sibly irritate our powerful neighbor. II
Norwegian nation certainly desires notl
ing better than to be on the best Of tern
with Russia and is extremely anxious I
furnish no pretext for meddling with OF
affairs And Sweden, certainly. has tt
same desire. She certainly harbors no d.
sire of revenge for the loss OF Finian