The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1904-04-07

W tiiASI iiSSs'tit'lIDii1 itttNt bCCii SIIlSlSt
into between The courts Of st Peters
burg and ot Stockholm. The Swedish
ambassador at st, Petersburg, NJ. de
Stedingk, believed TINT those on the
other side had what we would term a
'knife up their sleeves.n i'll spite Of the
Tact that the ministers with w4om he
spoke, and even the czar in person,
made to him thesmost reaSsuring dee.
larations. Finally, in November, he
was told that the concentration Of
troops which was taking place oE the
borders of Finland had fer its object
the prevention of an attack upon ST.
Petersburg by the English. The czar,
he was informed, did not desire con-
quests, but was doing all that he pos
sibly could to maintain the general
peace.
At the time these assurances were
given the cZar informed the French ann
bassador that in seven or eight days
the last division Of his army would
reach the border, and that in any case
nothing would be lost by the seeming
delay since lit is only in winter tina,
The ports are bloch AIDED by ice, a condi-
ton which is of double advantage to
US AT the end of November Russia
had concentrated on the frontier Of
FINLAND in the neighborhood of 10000
men. M. de Stedin9k became more
and more disquieted, and advised the
swedish king to prepare in secret for
the need of making a possible defense
But III the month Of January 1903 the
Russian ministers and generals Official
iy declared to the Swedish ambassador
that the emperor was altogether oppos
ed to war, and that the stussiau peunl
did not desire it.
On the 1lth Of January King Gusta-
vus Adolphus, for the purpose Of pre-
venting the danger incident to war,
proposed to the czar the naturalization
OF the Baltic sea To this prapositior
Russia made no reply. On the 18th Of
February Nj. de Stedingk received n
further letter from the king of Sweden,
instructing him to Immediately urge
this proposed plan OF naturalization.
In compliance with this last order Of
his government the swedish ambassa
dor asSed and was given an audience
by the czar on the 10th Of February,
ANA at this interview the latter rcpeat-
ed his assertion that Sweden had moth
ing to fear. He took God to witness
that he did not desire "a single Swed
ish city" AS to the question Of the
naturalization of the Baltic sea he gave
only an evasive response The same
day Russian ultimatum had been
prepared, but of this the car said moth
ing, though the ultimatum was for
warded to Stockholm, the imperial
messenger starting on the next day.
the 18th of February In this declara.
ton, after partially rehearsing the pre-
cedlng negotiations, the car declared
that Russia could not accept the plan
OF neutrality, but it depended upon the
king OF Sweden to take the proper
measures to preserve peace between
the two countries. BY that time the
Russian military preparations had been
completed, and before>a reply could be
received from Stock holm, before even
under the conditions of trave that
then existed, the Russian note could
have reasonably reached its destination
and without the least declaration OF
war, the Russian troops crossed the
frontier of Finland, and on the 2lst of
February marched upon Helsingfors.
1t WAS not nuti] the I'd of March that.
information was received at Stockholm
OF this Russian invasion, and this came
in the form Of a letter from the Swedish
military commander in Finland, Gen.
de klercker. The Swedish king then
gave orders 10 have the courier carrying
the Russian nultimatum-for at that time
lie had not yet arrived in Sweden-ar-
rested upon his arrival, which action
was carried out at Hernosand on the 7th
of March. Itwas thus fifteen days ai-
ter the Russian invasion Of the swed-
lsh province Of Finland thatsthe King
.of Sweden was officially informed OF
the ultimatuna note issued by the Car.
As This Swedish journal observes, the
above experience goes to show that it
does not lie in the mouths Of the Rus
slams 70 reproach the Japanese for the
preelpitailcg Of their attack u pon Port
thur, f,r from their esyt history
lnstrasi eisll be ven 81 actio ns of d
5ftl 5tsai'slrlofe /. NH tifiat,le character,
sss.,,a ,iss.,