The Cook County news-herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Cook County, Minn.) 1909-current, 1916-02-24
SWEDEN.


According to advices from Stock
holm the defensive alliance of the
three Scandinavian nations-Sweden,
Norway and Denmark-Wllich was
formed at Malmoe at the end of 1914,
trembles on the verge of destruction.
Only little more pressure from Eng
land, it seems, and King Gustaf will
throw his new army of 100000 men
into the hands of the kaiser. Pro-Ger.
mans tell what would happen then.
They have carefully planned cam
paign, which they say is that of the
German general staff. Using the
great ferries running between Ger
many and Sweden, the kaiser would
land an army in southern Sweden.
These men would be rushed by rail
to the border of Finland, and here,
with tho Swedish levies, they would
invade the grand duchy which Gus
tavus Adolphus and Charles XII ruled
and for which the Swedish monarchs
have never ceased to yearn. The Films
would rise to a man, the German ad-
herents continue, form volunteer mill
tary corps and prevent the Russians
from destroying the railroads to pro-
tect Petrograd. Then would the car
see his capital, little defended on this
side, soon in the hands Of the enemy.
Sweden's entrance in the war on the
side of Germany would emharrass the
allies immensely.
In the year and a half since the war
started, the German propaganda,
which failed in the United States, bas
succeeded in Sweden. Almost all
SWeden's news of the war comes
through German sources. AS a re-
suit, German sentiment has increased
enormously. England's relations with
Sweden have bsen irksome. The
queen is a sister Of the grand duke
of Baden. She was almost injured
while in the grand ducal palace at
Karlsruhe and she has proclaimed
| publicly her interest in the cause of
the kaiser, whose boyhood playmate
| King Gustaf was. Despite Lis de.
| scent from Napoleon's CASTOR captain,
Bernadotte, Gustaf is Teutonic in SEN
timent. But if Sweden declares war
against Great Britain, the treaty of
Malmoe becomes scrap of paper.
Norway and Denmark are even more
strongly pro-ally than the Swedes are
ro-German.
Maintenance of neutrality in con-
formity with the principles of inter.
national law was the keynote of all
the speeches before both houses OF
the rigsdag when debate on the budg.
ct was opened. Leaders of all par.
ties dwelt on the virtual unaninity Of
the Swedish people in favoring firm
and impartial neutrality. Premier
Hammerskjoeld declared this to be
the policy Of the government, but add.
ed: I'VE repudiate the idea that our
policy pnans we will not abandon neu.
trallty under any condition. 1t is our
fervent desire to keep peace and it
is our duty to work for this end with
all our might, but we must also reckon
with eventualities in which main.
tenance of peace, in spite of all our
efforts, would no longer be profitable. )"
! Il
| Knut Wallenberg, Swedish minister
of foreign affairs, says of the Swedish.
American steamship line: I'm the es.
Enlistment of this new steamship
line tbs Swedes cherish the hope that
direct commercial relations and IN,
! tercourse with the United States
shall be augmented. Whether this
shall be or not will largely depend on
the attitude Of Great Britain. That
country has, as is we'll known, greatly
hampered Swedish trade. There are
numerous cases where Swedish car.
goes have been thrown into prize
court contrary to all established laws
and conventions between the nations.
II u 49,
The rigsdag has appointed a com.
mittee of II members to confer with
the king on foreign affairs and de.
| fenso measures. The committee,
which is representative of all parties
in both chambers, includes three SO,
cialists and the conservative PROBES.
scr Kjellen, who is known as a pro.
German.
Prince Wilhelm, second son of King
Gustaf, was operated on for appen.
dicitis. His condition is satisfactor,
Prince Wilhelm, who is duke Of So
dermanland. is thirty-two years old.