Evening star., 1905-10-14
I. Sweden's Riksdag and the Norwe-
gian System of Fortifying.

I. Sweden's Riksdag and the Norwe-
gian System of Fortifying.
The first condition set down by Swe-
denis riksdag for the dissolution of the
union act and for the acknowledgment of
Norway a state separated from Sweden
requires. as is well known, that on either
side of the southern part of the frontier
there shall be fixed certain territory in
side of which forts erected in latter years
shall not be allowed to be maintained. nor
shall new ones be erected
The import of this condition is clear. A
district neutralized in respect of the build
ing of forts shall be created on either side
of the frontier. AS there are no fortresses
on the Swedish side, but as some do exist
on the Norwegian side of the frontier, 1t is
these Norwegian strongholds that cannot
be maintained. The parliament, however
left unsettled the question as to the extent
to be given to this territory and the causes
necessitating the existnce of the same A
calm examination of these questions carried
out in practical manner cannot fail to
brlng to light the evident necessity for the
creation OF these conditions, and more
over, such a course seems to US to be very
desirable. This SO much the more So as
the so-caiied condition respecting the
frontier fortresses" has caused SO much
protest in Norway. In order to lay before
our readers explicit description ii is nee
essary to give few details as to the Nor
Weglan system of fortifying as the starting
point of this article.
The Norwegian permanent defense was
hrst systematized in earnest after the close
or the year 1881. In now comprises the
coast 1ortreSseS at Trondhjem (Agdenaes),
Bergen and Christiansand, together with
the group of forts built for the protection
or the neighborhood of Christiania These
latter fortresses were erected in order to
tal
country In this district which comprises
but one-thrd Of the whole area of Nor
way, there lives as much as three-eighths
OF the country's population.
The forts In the neighborhood of Chris
uanla can be divided, regards their posi-
tion, INTO sea fortresses east and west of
the Christlania fjord. The mouth of the
entrance to the capital Is defended by the
fortresses erected at the sound of Drobsk
(Oscarsborg and Haron besides others).
West of the fjord the entrance to Drammen
Is closed and an advance upon Christiania
obstructed by the foruesses at Selvk. Be
sides that there are at Horten and at the
Tonsbergsfjord fortified harbors of refuge
built for naval purposes
East of the Christiania ford the an
proach to the nefghborhood of Christiania
is protected by rear line of fortresses
along the river Glommen and one in front
on the frontier. The fortresses at the
Glommen We're said, at the time of their be-
Ing erected to aim at preventing an enemy
from advancing toward the capital after
landing east of the mouth of the .Glommen,
between Fredrikstad and Predr.kshald
There is no need of any professional knowl-
edge to be able to find out by consulting
the map that an enemy ought to have much
greater advantage by going ashore between
Drobak and Fredrkstad. The alleged pur-
pose of the forts of the Glommen, there
fore, may be, lightly passed over Their
chief strategical value consists in their be-
ing support to the defense of that part of
the frontier formed by the river Glommen
between Fet and Fredrikstad should an
attack be made from the cast. viz, from
the Swedish side. The STRENGTHENING works
col s:st of a great number of chiefly tenn
porary. unarmed and open earthen bat
teries, of most primitive construction which
,Se were erected, for the most part. about 1890
The most important fortfcations are sit
uated at Fredrikstad, In order to protect
barricades of mines which have been laid
down at the mouth of the Glommen and
round Sarpsborg, Onstadsund and Fetsund
in order to protect the fords of the rivers
AS to the line Of the frontier fortresses,
no proposal as regards that part of Nor
ways defense was made In the Norwegian
parliament until 1891, and then it met with
great opposition. Colonel Stang who was
at that time member of the Norwegian
cabinet, succeeded, however. in forcing the
erection of these forts, the cost of which
was partly paid by funds not supplied for
that purpose. Their erection was pressed
on by fear of Swedish attack as, re-
in many parts of Sweden during the year
1895. The strategical purpose of the from
tier forts was to prevent hostile troops-es-
pecfally cavalry-coming from the Swedish
side from reaching the river Glommen be-
fore the Norwegian army had time to oc-
cupy this important line of defense. The
fortif1cations thus would give the Norwe-
gian army time to march forward and
would protect mobilization in the frontier
districts.
As the frontier districts from Fredriks-
hald toward the north consist of broken
woodland. with swamps and marshes,
where only a few roads stretch themselves
through long def1les between inaccessible
hills and lakes. the fortifcations on the
frontier line could be limited to only four
groups. BY means OF the Fredriksten
works along tbs frontier between Ewine-
sund and Femnjon. the roads from B6hus-
Ian ana Dal4lalld Ii Sweden toEef1tef with