Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-08-05

lutely the waterways entering the gull
of BOthnia and as a naval base they
also command the entrance to the
Gulf of Finland, and hence the way to
the Russian capital. Strongly fortl-
fed and in the hands of Russia they
practically made it impossible for
Germany to use her navy in the north
erp Baltic waters. They also give Rus
STA the opportunity for an outf1anking
movement in the event of German
naval or military diversion north OF
the Gulf of Riga. Military strategists
attach much Importance TO the Baltic
the coming summer and realize that it
may play Il very prominent part i'll the
German campaign against Russia. All
these facts, considered together, led
the liberals and socialists to the con-
clusiOn that the agitation of the
Alands question was designed wholly
in favor of the Germans. Sweden, and
Russia, too, for that matter, fully eX-
pected when the war broke out that
Germany at once would seize the
AIand islands as base for naval OPP
erations. The islands were entirely
without protection at that time and
their possession would have enabled
Germany TO bottle up the Gulf of Both
MIA and safeguard all her operations III
the Baltic-the very operations she
must now undertake if German arms
are to pass Riga in the direction Of
PetrOgrad.
But at the outbreak of the war Ger
many seemed to fear a British fleet
might enter the Baltic through the
Great Belt of Denmark and she kept
the bulk Of her navy in southern wa
teds. Finally Denmark decided to
close the Great Belt to all belligerents
and she strewed it with powerful
mines. This action closed the only
deepWater entrance or. outlet to the
Baltic, other than the Kiel Canal. and
the German feet was left freedom of
action in that sea. So on Aug. 20, 1914,
there came a German naval diversion
against the Alands archipelago. BY
this time, however, Russia had mined
the Aland waters and the German fleet
managed only TO destroy some signal
stations.
Another element of importance at
tached TO the Alands when British
submarines managed TO pass the shall
low sound separating Denmark and
Sweden and entered the Baltic. The
Alands are now offering them a splen-
did base, and the recent activities of
RUSSIAN submarines have put a sud
den stop to German shipping in the
northern Baltic. The submarines also
constitute a continuing menace against
any naval craft which may venture
out of the south.
In the negotiations of the North Sea
Baltic treaty in 1908, Russia promised
her present allies, Great Britain and
France. out of consideration for Swe-
den, not to fortify the Aland islands.
The Swedish people are unit in re-
garding as a threat and a menace any
permanent military work on this arch
Ipelago But they now have the as
surance of both France and Great
Britain as well as Russia that the
works nearing completion are not of
that character and will all be taken
away when the present war is ended
Professor Steffens, author of the
Alands Interpolation, has declared
such promises are worthless, that the
present war has shown that diplomatic
notes and promises are indeed but
scraps of paper" not to be regarded
when conflicting with the interest of
belligerent
But the renewed assurances from
the entente powers appear to have
completely satisfied the government
and the leaders of the three great
parties And SO came the agreement,
dramatically staged in the parliament
on May II, when the foreign minister,
Mr.. Wallenberg, speaking for the king
and government, said he was in a posi-
ton TO reaftirm the solemn declara-
uons of neutrality previously pro-
claimed. He said the government re-
garded the question of the fortfication
of the Aland islands as one of vital
importance to Sweden. but he assured
the riksdag and the people of Sweden
that the government would neglect
nothing to preserve the rights and in