New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-22

advocates war with Germany while there is
no talk whatever of hostile action against
England Even such an admirer OF England
and dsliker of Germany as Axel J. West re.
marks: IF we remain neutral during the pres
ent struggle in which we should have every
thing to lose the reason is perfectly plain.
recti6caton Of our German frontier would
for many Danes be the realization of pious
aspiration; but all Danes without exception
feel the necessity of keeping correct and loyal
relations with Germany"
Since neither self-nterest nor sympathy i'm
pels Denmark to cast in her lot with one or
other of the contending parties, it seems likely
that she will remain neutral to the end unless
her neutrality is deliberately violated. And
such contingency to-day appears exceedingly
remote The best guarantee OF Danish neu-
trality is the Kiel Canal Were Denmark in
possession Of the sole passage between the
North Sea and the Baltic as she was in the
Napoeonic wars, it is very likely that she
would have been attacked ere this by one or
other OF the parties 10 the present desperate
struggle But, with the Kiel Canal Germany
lacks any overmasterng incentive for such
dangerous venture the seizure of Ccpen-
hagen, while England dare not divide her fleets
for simultaneous North Sea and Baltic opera
tons, lest the Germans, working on shorter
interior lines via the Kiel Canal should destroy
the British navy in detail 1t is true that a
few months ago, when Allied prospects looked
brighter than now and when "Kitchener's mill
ions" doomed much larger than they do to-
day, considerable fear was felt in Denmark
lest England seize the fine Danish harbor OF
Esberg on the North Sea coast as the base
fcr stroke at the Kie Canal. At present.
however, England is so obviously in need of
troops for Flanders and the Near East that
few persons imagine she would dare risk large
forces in such a venturesome operation as
Schleswig- Holstein campaign.
The chief cloud on Denmsrk's political hori-
zen is the apparent breakdown OF the attempt
at Scandinavian solidarity so auspiciously
launched last December with the Malmoe
meeting of the three Scandinavian Kings.
Since that time the Danes alone have kept TO
TIE highroad Of thoroughgoing neutral feeling.
whereas the Norwegians have become steadily
more and more pro-English and anti German
while the Swedes have grown more and more
pro- German and anti-Russian. The recent An
glo- Russian threats to Sweden in the attempt TO
force her TO open her railroads to the passage
of munitions and supplies for the hard pressed
Russian armies are rapidly driving proud and
sensitive Sweden to desperation, and it would
not be az all surprising to see Sweden enter the
war on the German side in the near future.
Yet even in such an event Denmark would
probably be able 10 maintain her neutrality.
England, for reasons already stated would not
dare send her fleets into the Baltic to attack
Sweden; and Germany so long as she keeps
her presen. Baltic control. would not need to
send troops overland via Denmark to the aid
of her Swedish ally.
Denmark's probable course seems best ex-
pressed by Professor Brick when he says:
Our intentions? Our future conduct? One
wcrd will suffice: We want peace. Prudence
forbids our taking up arms against the victor,
and when 2; length the issue Of the war shall
become visible the Danish people, which, a
hundred years ago, remained faithful TO the
las, in the hopeless cause OF Napoleon. will
nc, display those iackal instincts needed 10
permit il 70 throw itself at the last moment
rpon the dying lion
T. LOTHROP STODDARD.