The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1916-02-09
GUSTAV TAKING STRONGEST
STAND OF ANY OF THE
NEUTRALS.
TWISTS BRITISH LIONS
TAIL UNTIL IT HURTS
Reported That an Enormous
Shipment of Freight and Par
Gel Post Packages Have Been
Held Up.

STOCKHOLM, Feb. s.. Hostility in
the entente allies is increasing here
The defensive alliance of the three
Scandinavian nations, Sweden. Nor
way and Denmark, which was formed
at Malmoe at the end of 1914 trembles
on the very verge of destruction. Only
little more than pressure from Eng
land, so it seems, and King Gustav
will throw his new army of six hun
of the kaiser
Pro-Germans here will tell you just
what would happen then. They have
IA carefully mapped out campaign
which they say is that of the German
great general staff
Using the great ferries running be
tween Germany and this country, the
kaiser would land an army in South
ern Sweden. These men would be
rushed by rail to the horder Of Fin.
land, and here, with the Swedish
levees, they would invade the Grand
Duchy which Gustavus Adolphus and
Charles XII ruled. and for which the
Swedish monarQhs have never ceased
to yearn.
The Firms would rise to a man, the
unteer military corps and prevent the
Russians from destroying the rairods
to protect Petrograd. Then would the
ear see his capital. little defended
on this side, soon in the hands of the
enemy.
Whether this grand sweep could be
carried out, it remains certain that
Sweden's entrance into the war on the
side of Germany would embarrass the
allies immensely. Already, by holding
up enormous shipments Of freight and
of parcel post packages destined for
icebound Russia, and by placing an
embargo on the export of wood pulp
to Great Britain, Gustav has found
means to twist the British lions tail
so that it hurts.
Yet, taking neutral and judicial
attitude, Great Britain might have
more to gain than to lose. One ave
nue. of supply to Russia would be shut.
That is true. But Germany's greatest
avenue of supply, in the allied opinion,
would be cut off, too.
Imports into Sweden from America
are running tenfold as large as before
the war. Some of this undoubtedly
takes the place of what would nor
mally be imported from Germany. But
any one who has stood on a pier in
one of the large Swedish harbors and
seen the immense volume of goods of
all sorts departing for Germany must
conclude that Sweden alone could not
produce all this. Or, what is the same
thing, Sweden has to replace what
from America.
In the centers Of trade here German
agents abound. They are not dOwncast.
They are busy They may have to
bid twenty-five per cent more than
other purchasers, but they keep on
buying The agents of the allies look
on, helpless, indignant, scoffing at the
arguments of some publicists that
Sweden is not supplying Germany
with New World goods at all.
The big new army which the king
can place at the disposal Of Germany
on the outbreak Of war did not grow
out of this struggle at all. 1t origf'
mated few months before the Aus
trian ultimatum to Servia out of the,
belief that Russia was massing men in
FinlaHd, building new transportation,
lines and fortifying certain islands IN
the Baltic with the PURPOSE Of carry.
ing through the dream Of Peter the
Great and making the Baltic Rus
sian lake.
There was a great preparedness
campaign in Sweden the twelyemonth
before the war pust such campaign
as is now pursuing its heated way in
the United States.
Without going INTO the details OF the
political factions, it may be mention
ed that the land owners, both mobiles
and peasants, demanded a greatly in,
creased army. In one Of the most re
markable demonstrations ever seen,
10000 land owners appeared before
the palace of King Gustav and cried
out for defense measures. The king
made ringing speech, promising o