The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1915-10-15
Many Things In the Past Few
Months Indicated That This
Northern Kingdom Would Soon
Cast In Her Lot With Germany.
RS Sweden on the eve of casting IN
her lot with Germany and her
o11joc0

- SWeu0u vi Tic eve VI Gushing AZ
her lot with Germany and her
allies?
So overwhelming has been the
demand by Sweden for American prod
uce and wares Of every description
during the last twelve months, i'm
ports from the United States having
increased nearly tenfold, that people
here cannot remain Indifferent to the
adoption Of a policy by King Gustav's
government which will have the effect
Of virtually closing its numerous ports
to the trade Of this country, for as soon
as ever Sweden casts the die she will
necessarily become subjected to the
same blockade that Great Britain and
the powers associated with her have
established against Germany, Austria
and Turkey.
Army Of 100000 Men.
Inasmuch as its army is being mass
ed in the northern portion Of the king
dom, along the Muscovite border line,
1t is manifest that these movements
Of troops, as we'll as all sorts of other
warlike preparations Oh the part Of
the Stockholm government, are aimed
at Russia.
The Swedish army is no longer a
negligible quantity Of to be despised
from a military point Of view. During
the last eighteen months, and more es-
pecially since last September, its num-
bers, thanks to the untiring efforts Of
King Gustav, have been swelled to
over 100000 men, trained to a high
state Of efficiency, newly armed and
equipped, as well as literally furnish
ed with the very best that the Krupps
are able to provide in the way Of field
artillery and heavy ordnance.
This means that Russia is obliged as
rapidly as possible to dispatch a force
OF several hundred thousand men to
Finland to resist any attempt Of a
Swedish invasion.
The Swedes recall that for hundreds
OF years Finland was q Swedish PROV
1nce; that the Firms owe to Sweden
their conversion to Christianity, their
civilization and their rights Of self gov
eminent, bestowed upon them by King
Gustavus Adolphus. They hope and
anticipate that these ties of creed and
historical associations, coupled with
the dissatisfaction aroused by Musco.
wife endeavors to restrict the autonomy
OF the grand duchy, will have the re.
suit Of inducing the Firms to welcome
q Swedish invasion and to throw il
their lot with King Gustav's army
against the Ear 1t remains to be see1
whether these expectations will be full
6lled.
At First Strongly Neutral.
While Sweden has all along leaned
toward Germany rather than to Grea'
Britain and her allies in the present
war, it is only quite recently that she
manifested a pronounced disposition
to join in the fray. In the early stage:
Of the hostilities popular sentiment il
Sweden was so strong in favor of hel
remaining aloof from the conflict tina
&AAAS ouSIoS was pleSculcu 1IOlu uu
herring to the kaiser's cause and wa!
forced not only to issue a proclamation
Of neutrality, which he did with the ut
most reluctance, but also to make !:
pact with tie rulers Of Denmark ant
OF Norway, in a meeting at Malmo, by
the terms of which all three sovereigns
bound themselves to unite with one
another In defending their respective