New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-10-17

Tho position Of things in sweden mas
nromi,ed sensation from the very star' VI
the war. The story might have been p'ayeu
on n theatre stage, so full has IL oeeh VI
painful and fascinating possibilities
choice Of emotion depending on the view
mint Of the audience Now a stage has eeeh
r...hed thanks TO the Intervention OF the
limited States, when there is good ciah''
that suspense will be dispelled. IL ioohS a.
IL the pro German King will either piu"se
bis country into war on the side OF Germany
ar TINT the people of Sweden may plunge
their King out Of business. revolution 10
within the bounds of immediate possibility
America may soon be teaching repupllcahis"
to new Sweden.
I was in Stockholm few months ago anu
talked with leaders Of the nation, lhciuui"s
the then Foreign Minister the present ror-
oior Minister. bankers the industrial leaders
newspaper editors, professors, oureaucra''
and the labor leaders, including Mr. nrah'-
ing Il is by conspectus OF we" ora""
from these various quarters that one is
enabled TO present picture of the SITUATION
Stockholm a Rendezvous
There are two main factors whlch lro"'
tho start gave Sweden position OF peculiar
influence and potentiality in the war Inc
first WAS her geographical position, when
made her capital, Stockholm, midway gain
ering place for neutrals and the dlnereh0
heIIiperents. The second was her close his
,oric. intellectual and industrial connection
with Germany. There are only twenty-tour
I YOU
get that in mind it is easy to realize the I'M
portance of the fact that diplomats OF various
grades passing between England and france
on the one hand and Russia on the other
had to 90 through Sweden. and the same
applies, of course, to"representatlVes Oh the
other Allied countries. Neutrals on their
wav 70 and from Russia had to pass through
Sweden. Before America entered the war
German diplomats often travelled hither by
vev of Stockholm Add to this the TACT mat
the neutral embassies and legations OF STOCK
holm were of peculiar Importance from 'ne'r
proximity to bellgerent countries ana you
will see why the Swedish capital became the
spv head-centre of Europe, why the Grand
Hotel facing the Kings palace and near TO
the Foreign Office, was continually rem
devious for travellers who held part OF thelr
countries destinies In their hands and VINO
silent beneath roof which gave shelter 10
the representative of their enemies.
Branting vs.. the King
II was no wonder that from the very start
all the warning nations kept their eyes keenly
alive TO affairs at Stockholm, especially in
view of the fact that the King was notori-
ously pro German, with German wife, that
the court circle was German. the bureaucrats
pro German as we'll as the professors and
the army chiefs and many of the leading
business men. To put the situation in nut
she'll, the people who ran the country were
on the side of Germany. This. however, fort
unately for the Allies, does not tell the
whole of the story. While the administra-
tors and King were pro-German, the ma
ioritv of the inhabitants of the country, IN
80 far as they had any feeling at all, were
pro-Ally. Il will be seen at once that
leader of the people. if he were sufficiently
big man, had a position OF outstanding I'M
portance. That man was forthcoming IN the
person of Mr.. Branting. the leader of the
labor forces. who in his breadth, moderation
as one of the foremost if not actually the
most distinguished of men who lead the labor
movement throughout Europe. MIR. Brantng
on the one hand and the King on the other
had been from the very start of the war the
protagonists of the opposing sections IN
Sweden The King had round him the politl-
clans. the moneyed classes, the army. Mr..
Branting had the solid backing of the vast
masses of the population. 1t may be added
in connection with this that Hjalmar Brant-
ing was described TO me as "the most infu-
entail man in Sweden, not only on account of
mis- political business, but also by reason OF
his personality" He was the accepted leader
of the labor and Socialist forces and the
virtual leader Of the whole of the progress
sive forces, which included the Liberals. He
was editor. moreover of the Social Demo-
craten," the daily newspaper of the Social
lists.
The German Plot
| found him a leonine man in appear
ance, man with wide views, quiet in man
ner and possessed of wise moderation. He
was devoted to the cause of the Allies. In
the spring of 1914, before the war broke out,
but at the. time when the German govern
ment was plainly planning it out, deter
mined move was made in Sweden through
German influences to align Sweden with Ger
many in advance. It was an artful scheme.
1t miscarred through the determination Of
the Swedish people. What happened was
that the pro- German advisers at court set TO
work to stimulate the general suspicion and
d;s.rus. of Russia and i'm pursuance of this