New-York tribune., 1918-04-28
submarines

Norway, has been a double-faced one
Working upon the pro-German leanings
of the Swedish court and aristocracy,
she has been endeavoring to draw
Sweden into her net by trickeries de-
signed to compromise Sweden to such
an extent as to compel her to seek, or
drive her into a combination with the
Central Powers against the will of the
great majority of the Swedish people.
In dealing with Norway, her policy
of threats and ruthless barbarity has
been brought into play. Destruction of
Norwegian shipping, which was not to
be driven from the seas, even by her
most extreme and lawless methods of
submarine warfare, was, Of course, an
end in itself; but her relentless war
of determination against this plucky
neutral was also link in her cunning
chain of schemes for supremacy in
Scandinavia
If Norway was not to be forced by
these tactics to throw herself upon
the tender mercies of Germany she
might be manmuvred into a position
where she would have to join hands
with the Western Allies, and in that
way play into the hands of Germany,
for the scandinavian countries would
then have been drawn into the war and
Germany would have free hands
against them and might hope to crush
them before assistance could reach
them. Denmark could be overrun and
taken in a couple of days, and Sweden
and Norway would be facing fearful
odds.
This programme has been upset, at
least in part, by the firm resolve of
the Scandinavian countries to stand
shoulder to shoulder in maintaining
their neutrality and defending their in
dependence; by their fortitude and
wise patience in meeting their difficult
problems; by the skill and tact of the
State Department at Washington, and
by the emphatic declaration of the will
of the Swedish people as expressed in
the last general election
And now the indications are that
Germany is ready to resort to more
aggressive tactics. The semi-official
German press, which is known to voice
or foreshadow the policies Of the For
eign Office at Berlin, has begun to train
itc hot ~
countries. The recent agreements en-
tered into by those countries with the
Western Allies, which provide for plac-
ing certain amounts of Scandinavian
tonnage at the disposal of the Allies in
return for permission to import certain
quantities of provisions and other mer-
chandlse the Scandinavian peoples need
to exist, are represented by the German
press as breaches of neutrality or un-
friendly actions. and, as an additional
expression of protest Germany is re-
ported to have closed her fish buying
office in Bergen, Norway.
This looks very much like an appli-
cation of her customary tactics Of fab
rlcating pretexts for contemplated acts
OF violence. To emphasize what the
scandinavian countries may expect. her
war on Norwegian shipping has been
intensified, and Sweden's refusal to
walk into the parlor of the German
spider at Brest-Litovsk was promntlv
followed by the seizure of the Alani
Islands.
Before resortng to further measures
OF outright force she will probably give
the thumbscrews Of diplomatic press
ure another twist to compel the Scan
dinavian countries to enter into an
agreement for joint control of the Bal
tic. The rest of the programme of ab
sorption could then be worked out
gradually and easily. That is the view
of the great Swedish leader, Hialmar
Branting. "In spite of promises to the
contrary, Germany" says Branting in
recent interview, "has spread herself
over all the Aland archipelago. She
may offer the islands to Sweden, but
under the unacceptable condition of
her joining a German grouping bor-
dering the Baltic. That Sweden would
never accept" Mr. Branting adds: "In
these serious hours our consolation is
to tnrn toward Denmark and Norway