The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1907-11-22
IN The SCANDINAVIAN NORTH"
Gleanings Of Important Nesus Of Noy1vay .Stueden
and Denmark, .Dith Occasional Comments
W.
SWEDEN.
BY MARTIN ". oDLAND.

BY far the most important and most
interesting thing to write about this
week in connection with Sweden, is
the matter of Sweden's defenses, as
that subject is assuming large proper.
lions in the Scandinavian peninsula.
A week ago wrote about the colossal
plans under way at Stockholm for the
enlargement of the Swedish navy, and
at various times l have referred to the
interest taken by the Swedish military
authorities and the people generally
In the matter of Strengthening the
country's defenses. Now the people
of Norway are beginning to wonder
what all this means, some of the more
radical editors charging that Sweden
is violating the Karlstad treaty of
1905. In regard to the whole question
the editor of a large American daily
publishes very able article, which
expresses my views of the situation,
and which 1 therefore quote in full
He says:
Recent dispatches from the Scan.
dinavian capitals indicate regretta-
BILE recrudescence of the questions of
armament and defense, which were
supposed to have been settled for good
and all at Karlstad in 1905. The orr
gin of the present discussion, which
has given rise to some ill feeling ON
both sides of the border, seems to
have been the plans drawn up by the
general Stairs of the Swedish army
and navy for the reorganization of
Swedens defenses. These plans, con-
corning the details of which very lit.
tie is actually known, we're recently
submitted to the government and to
special parliamentary committee,
with view to the introduction Of
bills in the next riksdag.
"The principal of an increas. in
ornaments, it is assumed, forms the
central feature Of these plans, and this
has been freely discussed in the press.
Some of the conservative and bitterly
anti-Norwegian journals of Stockholm
have taken advantage of the situation
to taunt the press of Norway, and to
intimate that the neutral zone agreed
on at Karlstad is no longer to be rec.
ognized by Sweden. This has natural
ly brought forth bitter retorts from
Christiania, one editor going so far as
to say:
IF Sweden will not recognize the
Karlstad treaty any more, Norway will
be obliged to increase largely her de-
lenses. We prefer peace, but if Swed-
en- desires war, Norway will do her
utmost to be we'll prepared
1T is, however, absurd to suppose
that Sweden will in the slightest par
ticular violate the solemn agreement
made at Karlstad AS result of that
treaty Norway demolished her frontier
fortresses, and neutral zone was es-
tablished to be forever inviolate and
sacred from military activity. 1t will
doubtless be found that the military
plans, now being considered by the
Swedish government, contemplate
merely the defense of the kingdom
against the outside world, and do not
have any reference to Norway at all.
Sweden, by the dissolution of the
union, lost guarantees of neutrality
made by the treaty Of 1855 between
France and England. She has not fol.
lowed Norway's example and sought
general European sanction for the
naturalization of her territory. Her
government, on the contrary, is con-
sidering the advisability Of greater
preparation to defend that neutrality,
if need be, by force of arms. There is
no menace to Norway in this prepare.
tion-a fact that is doubtless as well
understood in Christiania as it is in
Stockholm.
The unfortunate feature of the sit.
uation is that firebrands on both sides
of the line have taken advantage of
the opportunity to say disagreeable
things. The present commercial and
industrial rivalry of the two countries
has stimulated fine growth and de-
velopment in both. It would be worse
than foolish if this rivalry we're per-
mitted to have any other than a re-
vivifying effect on BOTH"