Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-03-11
The Menace Of a Germaniized
Kingdom Of Finland
BY d. S. S%trandvold

SIr8nQVOlQ
Great Britain. GRANGE and Russia,
I~stfpulating that no military or naval
establishments shall be created or
maintained on the islands. and five
weeks later Palmerston triumphantly
announced in the house of commons
that the treaty had placed Va barrier
between Russia and Europe.
The problem ceased to irritate Eu-
ropean statesmen for, nearly fifty
years, but in 1906 Russia began to
mass military and naval forces on the
Aaland- islands, pretending that 1t was
necessary to do so in order to prevent
alleged smuggling of arms to Finland.
This situation resulted in long and
tedious negotiations, and ruptures
ally. all he powers involved agreed
that h treaty of 1856 should in no
way be modified. and Russia was
forced to append its signature to that
agreement, much to its humiliation, it
was said. t
During the last few weeks the prob
lem has again become vital. A Rus
Aaland islands. and a few days ago
the Swedish government decided to
send 500 men to the islands to enforce
the s~tipulations Of the treaty OF 1856.
"F1nland, Free-Aaland Swcdish!'
The population of the Aaland
islands, is overwhelmingly Swedish,
and recently julius Sundblom, the
deputy. Of. the. islands in, the Finnish
diet, has voiced the demand of his
back to Sweden.
Let Finland be free and the Aa-
land islands remain Swedish as they
were before 1907" is the demand of
Sundblom, also called 1.-The hncrowned
king Of the Aalands."
why" he says in a long article4in
a Stockholm daily, should we not let
think? Past and future put obliga-
etions ,,uponsssus, and it is our highest
wish hat Finland shall be free and
the-Aalard islands be Swedish"
If present German plans do not
misca rry. the@+Aaland islands will be
neither Finnish NOR Swedish. but sim
ply a. Prussian Gibraltar fortified
outpost of advancing Germany.
sss Attitude of Scandinavia.
There is nothing so far which indi-
Gates that Scandinavia intends ,tc
sanction Germany's most recent plans
But there is plenty of evidence point
ing toward the possibility that Ger
man domination in Finland will be
strenuously opposed by the Northern
nllSuOulS "lIVSc governments REALIZE
that a Prussian menace to h east is
more dangerous than that of Russian
Czardom ever was.
Surprising that Germany does sue
coed in installing a prince in Finland
it may be taken for granted that
Scandinavia will | exert diplomatic
Scandinavia will exert diplomatic
this evil. 1t may be further taken TO,
granted that If such pressure does MOI
succeed. the. Scandinavian armies will
Join in anfattempt to enforce the pro.
tests of their government. /.
1t has beer repeatedly stated that
the Swedes are. pro-German in theil
attitude. The, evidence IN hand show.
that such a statement rests on nj
foundation Of facts even though it 1.
admitted that certain circles In Swed'
en- are not too frie~-fIy to the cause o,
the allies. ! |t @.
But even granting that, it appear:
that whatever pro-Germanism still
exists in Sweden will fade away wher
present German schemes have beer
fully divulged and studied. . Ever,
Swede will realize that a greater dan
ger than a Prussianized Finland ha'
never threatened the national life o
the three Scandinavian Kingdoms.
May Act Together.
Dfaate,%especiaily during. 1877. thu
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS havesbecom'
much more intimate friends thar
probably ever before In their history
and several projects, aiming at a clos
err union of,.the Kingdoms. have beer
proposed. DR.. Fridtiof Nansen las
summer formulated. a.program for al
l economic union. and the leading per
iodical OF political economy in Swede,
a few months ago contained assensa
tional article proposing a politica
rnion of the countries. The. fact tina
) NORWAY and Sweden evince fnrreasin,
interest ir. the Schleswig-F olsteil
, question which Is vital to Denmark
and that Denmark and Norway ar
{ deen,v concerned in the Finnish
; rroblem. serves r. bind the countrfe
. .more and more frmlv together.
: The suffering to which thev hav
i, heen exposed beca use of the Gernaal
submarine warfare and the eXpor
embargo Of the allies. has made tn
| countries feel more keenlv than he
: fore that thev are really nation
: in spite cf political divisions. and tim
I and again Denmark has extended
helping hand to. Norway and Swede
e AVID vice versa-whenever urgen
: need wa present.
All these things considered. It
4 possible that IL intervention become
: a nere~@itv. the, Scandinavian cour
: tries will join IN abolishing their att
tude Of neutrality. without regard t
tho Immediate risk.
e II they ioin hands. thev will forr
t No irconsiderah HE enemy to German,
8 frrt IL two of them leave to fac
e tbe foo. that one will undoubtedl
r suffer the fate Of Belgium and Serbia
Il u ~ A----- .t