Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-01-30
SWEDEN MAY JUMP
TO SIDE OF KAISER
Defensive Alliance of Three Scan
dinavian Kingdoms on Verge
of Destruction.
KING GUSTAV is PRO-GERMAN
Hostility to Entente Allies In
creases as Result of Teutonic
Propaganda.

to The entente allies is increasing here.
The defensive alliance of tho three
scandinavian nations-Sw eden. Norway
and Dcnmark--which was formed at
Malmo at tho end Of 1914. trcmhles
ON the verge OF destruction. Onlya
little more pressure from England. so
it seems. and King Gustav will thro&
his new army of 100000 men into the
hands OF the Kaiser.
1'ro-t;crmans here will tell YOU just
what would happen then. They have
Il 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 Southern
| Sweden These men would he rushed
by rail to the border of Finland, and
here. with the Swedish lcvies they
would invade tho grand duchy which
Gustnvus .Adolrhus and Charles XII.
ruled. and flor which the Swedish mon
archs have never ceased to yearn. ~
| The Fiuns would rise to a man. the
, German adhcrcnts continue. form VOL
untccr military corps and prevent the
| Russians from destroying tho railroads
| to protect pctroErad. Then would the
! Car soc his capital. little defended on
''is Siht, Suun III Tue nanuS OF the
| cucmy.
/ Whether this grand sweep could be
| carried out. ii remains certain that
! Swedcn's entrance in tho war on tile
side Of Germany would embarrass the
! allies immensely. Already. by holding
I up enormous shipments of freight and
| Of parcel post packages destined for
| iccbound Russia. and by placing an
embargo OIL the export OF wood pulp
| TO Great Britain. Gustav has found
| means to twist tho British lions tail so
! that il hurts.
f! \ Yet, taking 4 neutral and judicial at
| iitude, Great Britain might have more
, to gain than to lose One avenue OF
supply to Russia would be shut That
is true. Eut C;crmany's greatest av-
cnuc of supply. In the allied opinion,
would be cut of. too.
IMPORTS From AMERICA
SHOW TENFOLD INCREASE
| Imports into Sweden from America
arc running tcpfold as large as before
tho war. Some OF this Undoubtedly
takes the place OF what would nor=
nally bc imported from Germany. But
any one who has stood on a pter in
one uf 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 she
! exports TO Germany with imports from
| America.
In the ccniers Of trade here German
agents abound. They arc not down
east. They arc busy. They may have
tn bid - per cent moro than other
purchasers. but they keep on buying.
| Tho t.p IF no hall
less. indignant. *coflnE at the argu-
mcnts OF some publvcsts that Swedenis
not supplying Germany with New
World goods Al all.
The big new army which tho King
! can place at tho disposal of Germany
on tho outbreak OF war did not grow
out of this struggle at nl. II orig-
mated a few months before the Aus
TRAN ultimatum to Serbia. out OF the
belief that Russia was massing men
in Finland. building new transportation
j lines aud fortifying certain islands I'm
the Baltic. with the purpose of carrying
through tho dream of rcter the Great,
and making the Baltic Russian lake.
There was great preparedness cam
paiEn III Sweden the twclvcmonth bee
fore the war-just such a campaign
as is now pursuin,, it's heated way, in
the United States g
: Without going into the details of the
:. political factions. IT mas he mentioned
that the landowners. both mobiles and
peasants. demanded greatly increased
arniy In ono of the most rcrnarkabi
demonstrations ever seem 10000 land
owners appeared before tho palace OF
; King Gustav and cried out for defense
measures. The King made A ringing
speech, promising a greater army--a
.
ror'ling to tho Swedish national lcgis-
lators. However. this time he had tive
people with him. and the defense meas
urcs were put through. The outbreak
OF the great war in tho midst of
SwCdcn's preparations naturally served
To add fuel to the fire and hurry along
her armament. ~'es
SN EDEN'S ARMY INCREASED
FROM 10000 TO 100000
The army has been increased from
10000 To i0c.0 900 troops, and military
exports who have reviewed them pro-
nouucc them fine as any body o {
similar training anywhere in tho world.
The Swcdcs are big boned. hardy
race. and make good soldiers.
With this army at his back and occu-
: plying his strategic position. able to
l offer important services TO both sides
IN the struggle. King Gustav has been
the most independent neutral ruler who
has figured largely in the controversies
growing out of the war. He has pro-
tested strongly to Germany against
the dcpredations OF her submarines, hut
he has taken an even more belllgeraht
position toward England. England Is
accustomed to assume somewhat .sn-
perior air in dealing with the Iittlc
nations Of the world. but her attempt
TO do this w4h Sweden has resulted IN
her ill-copceaied discontinue. msfs
At the beginning Of the war tho pro-
German element in sweden was con
fined to few mobiles and courtiets,
who had relatives and connections IN,
Germany. The mass OF the people fay-
! Continued on Seventh Page,) ~.
y.