Evening star., 1940-04-18
Central Sweden, and the big powder
factory at Bjoerkborn

Central Sweden. and the big powder
factory at Bjoerkborn
Air Force Modern.
The Swedish air force is modern
and well equipped, but it does not
include more than 500 planes of
combat types, probably not that
many. Swedish anti-aircraft ar
tillery is good, but none too nu-
merous. Thus, the first thing the
Swedes would need from the allies
is air support, and the next is Wig
orous diversion along the coast to
occupy the attention of a good part
of the. German air force. If allied
squadrons are to be sent to Sweden
they must, of course, bring with
them their ground base equipment,
stores and ammunition; hence the
railway via Narvik is as necessary
for this purpose as for troops or
munitions, though the planes them
selves might be flown in once the
allies have an air base in Norway
Gs this the reason for the landing
on the Lofoten Islands, near Mar
vik?.
We may we'll be ver-emphasizing
the Importance of Sweden, and the
tenor of Swedish reactions to the
invasion of Norway; but one can
not suppose that the Swedes can
any longer have the least idea that
if Norway goes, they will not be
next; they may, therefore, feel that
they had as well fight now. while
they have allies, or submit later
alone.
And the outstanding fact re-
mains that of all the forces avail
able to save Norway, the nearest,
the most Immediately available and
the strongest in applicable fighting
strength is the Swedish Army.
One might add that the supply
problem of the German troops in
Norway does not become acute unless
these troops are compelled to fight,
to use up ammunition, to suffer cas-
ualties. They can eat and maintain
themselves off the country, with air
support, unless they are faced with
an energetic and dangerous enemy.
The allied landing force can be such
an enemy, but so can the Swedish
Army-and the Swedes can get
there first.
Progress of Allies.
AS to the progress Of the allies in
landing troops, our conjecture as to
landings at Andalsnes and Namos,
encircling Trondheim, appear on the
basis of available reports to have
been justified by events. The Ger
mans are said to have flown small
force to Dumbas, junction of the
Andalsnes branch railway with the
main line Oslo -Trondheim; mean
while, also as predicted, air fighting
is becoming severe of the coast, the
Germans are using their air force in
an endeavor to attarck the British
warships and transports, the British
are vigorously keeping up their at
tacks on the German air bases and
are, Of course, hard at work trying
to establish air bases of their own
hom which to support their land
ings.
It should not be supposed that
these operations will move very
rapidly; that they are so far under
way at present indicates pretty
clearly both that the allies still had
their Finnish expeditionary force,
with some of its shipping, in hand,
and that they regard the Norwegian
situation as SO critical as calling for
their utmost efforts to restore it.
Meanwhile the Germans must re-
member their danger from Sweden,
along with the fact that through
Swedish territory runs the only
really good line Of tions
for their army in Norway; it rather
looks like q question of who will
strike first, the Germans or the
Swedes. So far, In such situations,
the Germans have managed to re-
tain the initiative, to get In those
first blows which are 50 important
IN modern war. Whether they will
do so this time remains to be seen.
tCopyrisht 1910 ~ New Xerk Tribune
lne.)