Evening star., 1905-10-14


the railroad from Dalsland, were cut Off
By the Orje fortiflcations the road from
| Tocksmark, Sweden, was barricaded. The
connection with OStervallSkog. Sweden, was
| cut off by the works at Dingsrud (Urskog),
| and the roads running from the center of
the Swedish political division of Varmland
| together with the railway main line from
| Stockholm and Karlstad. were disconnect-
| ed by the Kongsvinger forts. 1t would car
| ry too far II we should enter into an
account of the fortificationai details or all
| these works. 1t must be sufficient to men
| ton that there three iron forts at
| Fredriksten, one at Dingsrud and two at
! Kongsvinger. Other fortitications consist
| of open batteries. AT Kongsvinger and at
| Fredriksten the chief armament Is II en-
! guns: at other places, 1o.5 en-. guns. Most
| of the fortificat tions are inclosed and sur
| rounded by moatS covered with barbed wire
! and flanked by machine guns. Several of
| the Norwegian works at Fredriksten and
| at Orje reach with their fire far into Swed-
| iSh territory.
Thus we find that the frontier forts pos
| sess a very great power, being situated
| quite close to the frontier line or, at the
most, at a distance of 80 KIM, preventing
| all communication beyond the border. In
| this circumstance find their purely de-
| fensive value. But with this is connected
an important strategical effect of an offens-
| i've nature By their very situation, the
| frontier fortreSSeS would, to a great eX-
tent, assist an eventual Norwegian attack
| upon Sweden. Should a Norwegian army
| advance in one direction, the Notifications
would protect all others. The Norwegian
| troops thus could be collected and directed
| In an attack with concentrated force. ES-
| specially if Sweden, during time of stress
| between the two northern countries or
| Scandinavia, has its attention absorbed by
| other political interests, the temptation TO
| conduct an attack may be great If the
| frontier fortresses remain. Their existence
| therefore, means to Sweden state of po-
| litcal unsafety.
The preceding short review will show that
| the Norwegian fortfcations in the southern
| district of the country consist of pure
| line Of defense toward the east at the
| Glommen, and line of fortifcations at the
| north, which certainly not only means a
| pure protection, but also political and
| military danger to the neighboring state.
| During Chauvinstical times in Norway the
| frontier fortresses may prove to be In
| citement to attack upon Sweden and
! are suited to give important assistance on
| such occasion. They are the doors
which could be used in case of operations
II. Norwegian Fortifcations Threaten
Peace in Scandinavia.
| 1t is evident, on account of the preceding
| description of the Norwegian system of
| fortifying, that the Norwegian fortresses
| may be considered threatening to the peace
Of the Scandinavian peninsula. The works
| at the Glommen are without doubt chiefly
| aimed at Sweden as an enemy. But from
! a military point of view there will never
| be anything more than Norwegian girde
| of safety. They will only be of Importance
| against an army which has invaded Nor
| way and Is within its territory. To en-
| deaVor to demoltSh fortifcations made for
| such a purpose would be uselessly to tres
| pass the rights of a free state, even if they
| are not the result of necessity. Because,
after what has taken place now, Norway
| can clearly see that Sweden contemplates
| no plans of attack whatever. Thus, it is
not against Sweden that Norway has need
| of fortifcations. We are. therefore, JUS
! titled in saying that the Glommen line is
unnecessary. Neither is there cause to con-
| slider 1T threatening and to demand its
| removal on account of its purely strategical
| defensive nature. Therefore, the Swedish
| authorities in their efforts to secure fort
| less zone have not endeavored to have the
Glommen works touched.
1t is quite a different matter with the line
| of frontier Notifications. Their existence
can only be explained by possible quar-
| rel with Sweden They are, in a few
| words, entirely directed against this coun-
| try. 1t is impossible, from either political
| or military point of view or from interior
| Norwegian circumstances, to find any other
| positive and clear cause for their existence.
+, The frontier fortifcations cannot be called
| into action, unless it be against Swedish
! troops. The statement that they form a
| line in common Scandinavian system of
fortifcations is an empty device. Up to the
| present no one has been able to construe
4
| could appear useful. Here can be discerned
the same extraordinary sophistry that
| which lay in the statement regarding the
| usefulness of the enemy's shield which
| could possibly fall into ones own hands.
! The frontier forts are not Scandinavian;
| on the contrary, they only serve to promote
| war within Scandinavia. Thus. they are
| directed Immediately against Scandinavian
| peace. AS the Norwegians prove by the
| Glommen works that they mstrust the
! Swedes do they prove by the frontier
fortifcations that they threaten them.
| In this connection ought to be mentioned
| the strange circumstances under which
| the Fredriksten Kongsviner batteries
| were created. They were built while Nor
| way was united with Sweden under the
| same king One of the two united king
doms thus erected frontier fortresses
against the other-fortresses which could
| operate within the territory of the
| federate. What would be the result If in
Austria and Hungary, the United States or
Australia one state began to fortify itself
against the other Is it not truly remarka-
BILE that, while Norway pugnaciously
threatened, Sweden had no other remon-
STRANGE TO show than one of astonishment?
An examination into the origin, the pur-
pose and the character of the different
| links which. as a whole, form the fortifica-
tion system of Norway. thus seems to
prove that 1t is only the line of frontier
| forts which is disqufeting to Sweden. This
| is the material objection which must be
removed in order to secure peace between
| ing sword laid between the Scandinavian
countries is taken away will nations be
| able to breathe freely on both sides of the
Kolen range.
| III. The Necessity Of Sweden's Press
ing This Condition.
The Swedish riksdag decided that the In
quiry into the dissolution of the union
should be carried out with the aim of dis
solving the union in such a way that peace
will rule in future between the Swedish
and the Norwegian people. Sweden
must, once for all, free herself from all
strife disturbing the intercourse of the
Scandinavian peoples and the general de-
| velopment OF the country As q guarantee
for such a peaceful future, It was first re-
Quested that the Norwegian frontier fort
resses mentioned above be demolished. AL
though the necessity Of this condition has