Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1914-04-23
SCANDINAVIAN news
SUMMARY OF IMPORTANT HAP.
PENINGs IN FAR OFF
NORTHWEST.
ITEMS FROM THE OLD HOME
Resume Of the Most Important Events
In Sweden, Norway and Denmark
OF Interest to the scandInavlans
In America.

The danger that Russia might break
the European peace by attacking Nor
way and Sweden In order to obtain
an ice-free North Sea harbor, which
has always been considered to be
Russia's desire, may be small. But II
1t comes to a conflict between Russia
and OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES the
Slav and the Teuton races-to which
the present enmity between the two
countries points, 1t might be possible
that Russia would use the occasion to
realize its plans to secure a Scandi-
navian harbor, IL it is able. Therefore,
Sweden and Norway fellow with IN
tense interest the developing situa-
ton between Russia and Germany,
the espionage and military prepare
tions, and prepare themselves as well
as they can to build up as strong a
defense as is possible for small coun-
tries. Naturally, the defense cannot
begin to equal the Russian defense,
but Russia on the other hand, prob
ably would not be able to use more
e<Aoh q small PkAt VI lt5 AShNSS
against the Scandinavian countriesy
The difference in strength, therefore,
need not be as great as might be sup
posed. 1t is not likely that Russia's
enemies would be Indifferent to
Russian annexation of northern Scan
dinavia, that England would allow
Russia to come into its immediate VI
cinity, or that Germany would allow
its rival to gain such advantages.
1t is, therefore, most probable that
Sweden and Norway, IL they do the
best they can, will be able to ward
of the danger that threatens them.
Denmark, on the other hand, has
nothing to fear from Russia. If, how
ever. Russia should succeed in cut
ting off northern Sweden and Nor
way, 1t is likely that Germany would
secure compensation at the expense
Of Denmark. So far, all three Scandi-
navian countries are affected, but
Sweden and Norway are more closely
interested. What has increased the
present anxiety is the fact that, out.
side of the forced strengthening of the
Russian army and navy, the espionage
system is 30 general, and the Rus
SANITATION of Finland has proceeded
so far that Russia Is now right next
to Sweden and the dividing line Of
Finland between the two countries
has quite disappeared
Finland, just across the Gulf Of
Bothnia, is now being permanently
garrisoned by the Twenty-second Rus
sian army division--25,000 men. Two
other divisions are stationed just over
the Finish border, near st. Peters
burg, from which locality they could
be drawn and thrown into Sweden
within ten days by means of the new
military railways which have recently
been completed in Finland and which
extend right up to the Swedish from
tier. Army strategists assert that
within three weeks Russia could place
10000 men in the field against
Sweden
In the past three years Russia has
been secretly engaged in building ex-
tensive Notifications on the Finnish
west coast. and Is now said to be vio-
lating the treaty of Paris of 1856
whereby the Aland Islands were to
remain unfortified For several months
past there has been an unusual in
crease in the number of Russian
tramps and peddlers throughout
Sweden, especially along the eastern
coast in the north A number of them,
when arrested. were found to be in
possession of military maps similar
to those used by the Swedish general
staff. 1t was noted that others, who
protested to be merely wandering
Russian peasants looking for work,
not only bore no signs Of manual
labor on their hands but could speak
Swedish fuently.
In fact. the situation seems to jus
tify the extraordinary military agita-
ton carried on in Sweden and Nor
way.