Little Falls herald., 1914-01-30
OF INTEREST TO
SCAND|NAvlANS
Recent Happenings in This
Country and Abroad.
MANY DETAILS BROUGHT OUT

MANY DETAILS BROUGHT QUIT
European System Of Espionage Laid
Bare at Trial Of Conspirators in
tockho!m-Governor Hanna Of
North Dakota and Staff to Attend
Norwegian Centennial Festivities.
Captan Koch, Danish Explorer,
Lectures on Journey to Greenland.
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Says recent dispatch from Stock
holm: During the espionage trial
that has been going on here for the
last two months, new and interesting
details have come to light regarding
the European system of espionage.
At the trial one Of the prisoners, a
young man named Holsteinson. gave
interesting information. Holsteinson
is the one who arranged the cOnnec-
ticr between the petty officer, Toern-
g:"n who was indaced to give infor.
nation about the Swedish navy, and
Assanovitth, the Russian military at
tacnr in Stockholm. Ho]steinsOn now
states that during his visits to Assano.
;iich he noticed that the attache had
. c'e:tt many tin boxes, which con.
tanned charts and maps that Assano.
witch had drawn himself. To work
ont thcce charts Assanovitch used the
general staff maps, enlarged, and also
certain reports brought him, through
which certain details in the charts
were made more complete and more
useful for military purposes. Special
attention was given to the capacity
OF reads for bearing artillery and cav
| airy and the strength of bridges. Nav
! igaUle passages were marked and
lines indicated where vessels could
| make safe landings. There was also
| a plan, designed by AssanOvitch, for
| advance march, marked on the dill.
| ferent charts, and he had worked out
Il scheme for eventual attack which
was to he made With four bodies OF
| troops simultaneously. The mead force
vas TO be sent against Hernosand
| and similar one to Savle. AS soon
| as A:sanovitch completed these maps
| he sent them to st. Petersburg. The
| proceedings Unveil part of the mys:
| tary that has rested on letter writ.
| ten by Assanovitch and found in
| Toer7,gren's possession The legal
| report asserts that in g certain point
| i'll the. letter information was asked
| regarding the measures for defense
made in ,Sav!e an; Hernosand and in
| one other city. TIE letter mentions
| an international society and the re-
ncrt speaks OF it as fo1lows Only
| afte: accomplishment or the above
| points can Mr. To2rngren be accept.
| eI as q permanent agent in the in
! tci'National society with steady sal
a:y." The letter also contains the
! desire Tor espionage on the represe1-
j :
! Toerngren is also requested, with
| promise of extra money, to procure
| other military information and with
| great exactit;lde to give information
| of secret nature pertaining to SWe-
| denis GefenseS. No one can wonder
| that these discoveries cause a certain
| amount of anxiety in Sweden. No
| one has, for q moment, thought that
| It was for Denmark Lieutenant Fred
| riksen was investigating Boden and
| the energetic manner in which the
| Copenhagen press has aided in clear
| ing up the Hampen affair ought to
| exclude any aEimosity against Den
mark through two Danes having sold
| themselves to espionage work. 1t is
/ Just as impossible for Denmark to
| hinder such activities as it is for
| Sweden. Persons who can be bought
| for espionage can be found in all
countries, as recent events have
| shown. 1t is quite natural, however,
that it causes anxiety when one case
after another is uncovered and gives
| cause for suspicious that fall on both
innocent and guilty.
| !. =. !.
Karl Staaff, the prime minister OF
!, Sweden, made an important political
| speech at Karlskrona explaining the
position of the Swedish government
| with regard to the reorganization of
the Swedish defensive forces. He
emphasized strongly that even if no
imminent danger OF war threatened
Sweden the genera! situation ought to
make the Swedes feel it necessary to
strengthen their defenses. A policy
of strict neutrality was an absolute
condition for Sweden. The policy
that had hitherto been the nations,
that of trying to keep on friendly
terms with all powers without en-,
tering into more intimate relations
with any one, and to maintain a neu.
trail and sincerely peaceful position,
was surely still the best and safest
policy. The prime minister recon.