New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-25
SWEDENS ALSACE-LORRA1NE
By JOHN G.. HOLME

No neutral country has suffered so acutely
from the war fever as Sweden. As nations
calculate their age, it was only year before
last that Sweden was one OF the foremost
military powers of the world, that the Baltic
Sea was n Swedish lake, that Riga was the
second largest city in the kingdom and that
Swedish arms were unconquerable. Swedish
history is almost as romantic as that OF
France. 1t is ablaze with purple patches re-
cording heroic achievements. Gustavus AdoI-
phus has been allotted place among the SIX
greatest generals of history by the foremost
military critics. Torstenson, one of his great
leaders, commanded armies and won battles
in the Thirty Years War from streteher
where he lay half paralyzed Charles XII
oyerran Russia and Poland while still boy
The legend lives in Sweden that one Swedish
soldier can lick ten Russians. Nations SIMPLY
can not and will not forget their past gloriea
They may lose in power and prestige, but
each succeeding generation brings forth
crop Of chauvinists to fan old flames.
Sweden has had to bow to numerically
stronger foes. She lost Finland little more
than a century ago. not through Russia's
military skill, but partly through numbers
and mostly through series of unpardonabIe
blunders. It was tragedy so appeallngF
dramatic that neither the Swedes nor the
Films will ever forget. Moreover, 1T was
immortalized by the SwedshFinnish poet
Johsn Ludwig Runeberg in what is perhaps
the most inspiring cycle of patriotic ballads
ever written, "Faurik Stalls Saguer" t"Ihe
Tales of Ensign SteelD. q believe some Of
the ballads have been translated into Eng
lish.) There is probably not schoolboy IN
Sweden or Finland who does not know "SYen
Dufva.' "Dobeln," "Sandels" and 1.-THE Village
Girl" 1t is impossible to estimate what
Runeberp alone has done TO unite in spirit
his two countries.
Ruueberg and La Reyanche
We in the United States own nothing like
"Fanrik Stalls Sagner," and IL is therefore
hard to explain the magic influence OF the
ballads. They arc the stuff that turn boys IN
their teens from stomach worship to hero
worship. There arc perhaps several hundred
model American citizens of Swedish birth IN
greater New York who in their youth knew
every one Of the songs by heart, and swore
mighty oaths they would grow up to be SOL
qiers and do nothing but kill Russians till
Finland was freed OF the Slav yoke.
Finland is primarily the cause of Sweden's
pro Germanism in this war Finland is Swe-
denis Alsace Lorraine. When we consider
Finland plus Runeberg as the yeast in the
snirit of "revanche," 1t is small wonder that
the warlike sentiment of nation that was
only a few generations ago great military
power has been stirred deeply. Swedens rear
OF Russia's further encroaehment in search
Of q TT open the year around has been ad-
vsnced as the first reason for her sympathles
with the Teuton. but this apprehension does
not seem to be based on any too strong a
foundation. Al any rate, the Swedes have
never been able to convince the Norwegians
Of the Slsv peril, and Norway is strongly pro-
Ally. Yet if Russia planned aggression IN a
northwesterly direction she would hardly stop
at a Swedish port, by the acquisition OF which
she would be little better off than at present.
Germany could and probably would counter
the move merely by swallowing Denmark and
controlling the sound between Denmark and
tho Baltic peninsula. IL is more probable
that Russia will either leave Sweden alone
ar cut a cross section off the Baltic peninsula
and seek ports in the fjords of Norway But
think Of the distance from Che centre of Rus
sia TO the fjords of Norway! How much good
would a western vladivostok do Russia?