The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-03-05

Amsterdam. March From far oa
Siberia. where Japan has not yet aot~
ed. but may Ia ke a hand any nomsut
interest in thu Russian crisis switched
to-day 10 nearer end. for ths MON emit
more vital. sphere OF oparation~---ths
Aland Islands. which mean TO Sweden
what Hefgoiand means TO Germany
This was exclusively foreshadowaA
In these dispatches thres weeks aww
Sunday has come to pass; the dNrs
mans have begun occupation of shaxa
stratsgtcally highly important isles,
with the object of holding them both
"a threat and a potential pawn II
thar future deaiings with the mosA
powerful OF the Scandinavian king
doms.
Occupation by foreign power a
the Aiand islands mean virtual bot
Ting up OF the Bothniaa Kulf. ana
thereby the cutting Off of the TIVE
Northern thirds of Swsden's east coast
At this particular season tha menace
to Sweden is doubiy great because Of
the ice connection. The largest island
lies less than Twenty-Five milss from
the Swedish coast and only seventy
one miles from Stockholm. the king.
dom's capital
At the same time. II ts pointed out
the Germans. by seizfng these islands.
complete their stranglehold on the bot
tied-up Russian feet In the Gulf of
Finland, and their control OF Finland
itself
Rescue" Of the Ftnns from ths Red
Guards is given by Berlin az the rsason
for the seizure which. Germany a..
serts, in note to Sweden, will only
De provisional" The Firms them
selves, the note declares. urgently APP
psaied for this rescue"
sweden. In highly diplomatic nota
TO the powers. does not commit her
self directly as opposing the German
action, but points out that certain Ina.
portant objections and dangers hava
been emphasized to the Berlin gov.
eminent In reply to the German an.
nouncement.
Germanys announced plan to re.
store order In Finland spells added
menace. not only to Petrogred's aiank
but to Russia's access TO the white
across Finland to Archangei Ia re-
garded here as entirely likely to be
part of thu program.
Meanwhile Russia and Germany are
at peace---but only technically. Ths
Russian delegation at Brest Litovsk
has siened the German conditions,
though in doing SO announced that u
was surrendering to extorition by
force of arms. Krylenko has ordered
he Req Guards to cease fighting. but
10 remain on the front. Germany has
halted her operations in Great Russia
but continues her military movements
against Finland and in the Ukraine
The peace treaty" Is to be ratified
by the Russians, March Z. but wifi not
be finally voted by the Pan soviat's
executive council until March IL.
In Petrograd the spirit of dennacs
keeps glowing at fever heat and prep
Rrations FOR defense TO finish con-
tinus una bated. The Boisheviki chief
tains are mistaken In their belief that
T. fclass war" holy war" will ul-i
timately turn the tables on the in
~ aers, Their determination has been
siren gthened by the many messages
sent from the Russian delegates at
Brest who while admitting that sign
ing the German peace IL the only sAi-
vatron at this moment. emphasized
throughout that the promise 10 keep
the peace Ia exacted By the force Of
arms aad ss. therefore. NUN and vcid.
German agents are In the meantime
making desperate efforts to strike q
bargain with the rsaotionariss for tbs
establishment OF stable government
to replace the reds"
The only news from siberia MP 10
ara this evening was this newn that
the Russians have begun eerfn9 ~
The railroad tracks snd dsstrsYtn9 1ke