New Britain Herald Newspaper, July 14, 1916, Page 5

NEW. BRITAIN DAILY HERALD. FRIDAY, JULY 14, 1916. Strict Neutrality to Bring Era of Prosperity in Sweden National Crisis Has Been Safely Passed and People Real- ize King Will Not Permit That Go Hand i (Correspondence of Tho Associated Press.) stockhalm, June 30.—The Swedish weople are breathing more easily now than at any time since the war began. They are convinced at last that their king and their government are de- termined to maintain a strict and im- partial neutrality until peace shall have been declared and they are plugging with renewed vigor into a prosperity unprecedented in the his- tory of the countr: That Sweden would give prosperity and the happine has come with it for the perils, poverty and the misery of war seemed unthinkable to the foreign observer, but it cannot be denied that the political and international crisis . through which the country pa n Hand With War. this which up ously near the brink of catastrophe. Not that from it—but the anti-Russian pro- paganda carried farward by an in- fiuential group of politicans known as the Activists attained for a time a momentum which threatened all the dictates of neutrality and was out- spokenly an effort to force Sweden into war with her traditional enemy, Russia, and thus ally this party of Scandinavia with the Central Powers. The Activist movement was de- nounced by the Socialists and Liberals in the Swedish Parliament as more pro-German than pro and was referred to_on one oc v Socialist leader Branting as having a “gangerously strong financial back- ing.” The pro-German press of Bweden carried the campaign at times 1o a violent extreme and the bitter- 1ess engendered between these papers end those representing the liberal and socialist elements of the country may not be effaced for years to come. The Liberals and Socialists frankly feared for a time that the influen- tial Activists would win over the sup- pert of the Conservative Party, which still controls the upper house of Farliament and is supposed to more than hold the balance of power in what is theoretically a coalition cabi- net. But when the test came when the situation was at its worst, the| Conservatives threw their strength | with the other two parties in a deter- mination to keep Sweden out of the .war at any cost. All Plans Go Wrong. It so happened that the Activist campaign, designed to upset the neu- trality of Sweden, actually brought about an agreement among the con- tending political factions of thel Swedish Parliament which has goven | Swedish parliament which has given standing before the belligerent nations | it had not enjoyed before. This agreement was the immediate result of an Activist interpellation in Parlia- ment calling attention to the alleged pérmanent character of fortifications Teing erected by the Russians on the Aland Islands in the Baltic, and ask- ing what the government proposed to dc about it. At night the ligh .the Alands are visible from the casternmost points of Sweden and the nearest of these isles is but six hours gail from Stockholm. Russia had | given informal that the fortifications were only tem- | porary, being erected for the purpose of protecting certain mine-fields and thus defending the islands from pos- sible capture by the Germans. Sweden was further assured that the fortifi- cations would be removed at the end of the present war. Have Commanding Position. The Aland islands command abso- lutely the waterways entering the Gulf of Bothnia and as a naval base they also command the entrance to the . Gulf of Finland, and hence the way to the Russian capital. Strongly forti- fied and in the hands of Russia they practically make it impossible Germany to use her navy.in northern Baltic waters. They also give an out- Russia the ol'po%tr\w for | fanking movemefit in the event of a German naval or military diver north of the Gulf of Riga. Military ’strategists attach much importance to the Baltic the coming summer and realize that it may play a very promi- nent part in the German campaign sgainst Russia. All these facts, con- sldered together, led the liberals and socialists to the conclusion that egitation of the Alands question was designed wholly in favor of the Ger- mans. Sweden, and Russia, too, for that matter, fully expected when the war broke out that Germany at once would seize the Aland islands as a base for naval operations. The is- lands were entirely without protection #t that time and their possession would have enabled Germany to bottle up the Gulf of Bothnia and safeguard all her operations in the Baltic—the very operations she must now under- take if German arms are to pass Riga In the direction of Petrograd. But at the outbreak of the war Germany seemed to fear a British fleet might the Great Belt of Denmark and she kept the bulk of her navy in southern waters. Finally Denmark decided to close the Great Belt to all belligerents and she strewed it with powerful mines. This action closed the only deepwater entrance or outlet to the Baltic other than the Kiel canal, and | the German fleet was left freedom of action in that sea. So on August 20, 1914, there came a German naval di- version against the Alands archipel- ago. By this time, however, Russia had mined the Aland waters and the German fleet managed only to destroy some signal stations. Another element of importance at- tached to the Alands when British submarines managed to pass the shal- low sound separating Denmark and Sweden and entered the Baltic. The Alands are now offering them did base, and the recent activities of Russian submarines have put a « den stop to German shipping in the northern Baltic, The submarines also the | sed the | Jatter part of May brought it danger- | the people wanted war—far | assurance to Sweden || for | | the ion | the | enter the Baltic through | a splen- | sud- | the Poverty and Want constitute a continuing menace against any naval craft which may venture out of the south. Treaty Signed In 1908. In the negotiation of the North Sea- | Baltic treaty in 1908, Russia promised ( her present allies, Great Britain and | France, out of consideration for Swe- den, not to fortify the Aland islands. The Swedish people are a unit in re garding as a threat and a menace any permanent military works on this { archipelago. But they now have the | assurance of both France and Great well as Russia that the works nearing completion are not of that character and will all be taken away when the present war is ended Professor Steffens, author of the | Alands interpellation, has declared uch promises are worthl that the present war has shown that diplo- matic notes and promises are indeed but “scraps of paper,” not to be re- garded when conflicting with the in- terest of a belligerent. But the renewed assurances the Entente Powers appear to completely satisfled the government and the leaders of the three sreat parties. And so came the agreement, aramatically staged in the Parliament on May 17, when the Foreign Minister, Mr, Wallenberg, speaking for the | king and government, said he was in | & position to reaffirm the solemn | declarations of neutrality previously | proclaimed. He said the government | regarded the question of the fortifica- tion of the Aland Islands as one of vital importance of Sweden, but he as- sured the Riksdag and the people of Sweden that the government would neglect nothing to preserve her rights and interests of Sweden. Sweden, he added, would always maintain her right of self-determination, But in the face of a very difficult situation she already had shown her steadfast desire to fulfill the demands of a strict and impartial neutrality as well as eager desire not to be drawn into any warlike entanglements. The proceedings in the Riksdag, or Swedish Parliament, had all been ar- ranged in adyance, and Mr, Wallen- Lerg had scarcely taken his seat in the second chamber when the leaders of the three part in turn arose and indorsed all that he had said. This | came plan then was carried out in the first chamber and thers was rejoicing through all of Sweden that a serious s had been safely passed. The Activists, however, chose effective weapon when they took up the Alands question. They had at- tempted from time to time to arouse the people against England because of | the blockade, but the response to this appeal was meagre. Ever since the loss of Finland, however, Russia has Leen a traditional enemy of Sweden in the minds of many of the Swedish people and it has been comparatively casy to arouse their fears. The wholesome fear on the part of Liberals and Soclalists that the Activist campaign might force a con- dition which would lead to war, was based partly upon the significant cvents in Sweden whih Immediately preceded the outbreak of the Buro- -an war. During the winter of 1913-14 the agitation against Russia and in favor of military preparedness in Sweden had been carried on to stch an extent that on February 6, 1914, 30,000 Swedish farmers, organ- ized in what was called a ‘‘Bondetag” or “yeomans' march,” came to Stock- holm, marched to the Royal Palace and addressing the king, assured him of their willingness to bear any added taxation required for the national de- fense. The agitation at this time was | participated in by the Conservative | party. The government, however, | was Liberal and had taken an inter- mediate position between the Conser- tives, who urged every sort of sac- | rifice to increase the army and nav and the Socialists who claimed it was foclish for a small country like | Sweden to attempt to keep pace with | the armaments of the larger powers | of Europe. The address of the yeo- men, coming as a climax to the pro- paganda of patriotism waged through- out the country, stirred King Gustave to a reply which immediately brought |about a ministerfal and’ political crisis No king of those have worn the crown of Sweden,” he | said, “has in the same manner as I heen allowed the privilege of standing on this spot, face to face, with the | commaners of Sweden and listening | ltr. their voices. The knowledge of | “our unshakable confidence in yvour king invests my royal duty, with a | doublea responsibility, but at the same | time makes it easier of fulfilment and | T promise that I will nat fail you. | You may be assured that I will never compromise with my conviction in | the question of what I regard right nd necessary in order to guard the independence of our fatherland. The standards for readiness af service and Dreparation for war formulated by cxperts within my army I will not re- cede from. You all know that this| means an extended time of military e for citizens, especially with Te- | gara to winter training. In order to | perfarm the great tasks before it my | navy must be not only maintained but very considerably increased.’ from have an who before me | | | < King Rises to Emergency. Thus the king spoke without pre- vious consultation with the liberal government, headed by Karl Staaf, as | prime minister. It was held by many of the liberals that the king had fla- grantly violated his constitutional lim- itations, and thereupon the ministry | resigned. The king called upon | Hialmar Hammarskjold, who formed |ar sional government, not repre- | senting any political party but known as “The King's Cabinet.” General elections were ordered and an exciting campaign was waged, the conserva- tives raising the war scare, the social- | | ists calling upon the king to “resign” ' | policy of | ernment, Zira’s supevriority over other manufacturers’ 5 Cent cigarettes. jThis superiority isn’t a matter of opinion—it's Fact! ZIRA is honestly superior. Every cigarette expert knows it. You will know it just as soon as you smoke a ZIRA. Thousands of smokers prefer ZIRA to higher priced cigarettes You CAN buy a high-grade cigarette for 5 Cents—ZIRA. The mildest cigarette. —if he could do such a thing—and the liberals attempting to keep in be- tween. The result was that both con- servatives and socialists made gains from the liberals, the socialists ma ing by far the greater gains. There was talk of a compromise upon the king armament when the Euro- pean conflagration flared up. Party lines then were forgotten and the compromise government has existed to this day. In county council elec- tions recently held, however, the so- cialists, outspoken for peace and con- tinued neutrality, have continued to make significant gains, bringing about the prediction that when another gen- eral election is held the socialists will be able entirely to control the iey of allied Scandinavia. Both [ to fuct that the Danish and Norwegian newspapers at- | a German princess, Victor tributed the agitation in Sweden to| a descendant of the German influences and as both those But in the crisis the king demon- ! countries are decidedly pro-entente | strated that he felt the inter s of their position can easily be under-| Sweden were best served by neutrality stood. and friendliness with all hepy nr There was much talk in Sweden | bors, and there is much happiness also of German influence at court, due | through all of Sweden of Baden, | Hohenzollerns. | The Barbour Rug and | Drapery Co. 200 Trumbull St., Gpp. Aliyn House, Hartford MID-SUMMER DISCOUNT SALE Special prices on Domestic Rugs, Linoleums, Mattings, Draperies, Lace Curtains, Cretonnes and Tapestries in stock. This means a saving to you of 10 per cent to 25 gov- The socialists there might be demonst and liberals feared another “national ation” this year as in 1914 to influence the king and his cabinet, but wiser councils prevailed and it is felt now that the activists have played their last card and need not bhe oned with again There is no doubt that if the activ- ists had succeeded in forcing Sweden into the war this country would have the support and sympathy of the two-thirds of Scandinavia Norway. ver Copenhagen in have been per cent. v v |8 Visit Our Oriental Rug Sale at48 Lewis St. reed to | Where we are showing the finest line of Antique and Modern pieces in the state, at very reasonable prices. Store closes Saturdays during July and August aGuEpams lost other Denmark the March and since rence at three countries in a to policies of ity and defense The have act together in matters of common in- terest to all for in nce the stopp! of Scandinavian mails in | . but if Sweden had heen led ia by seizing the Aland lands, Denmark and Norway would | B have felt the quarrel was not the pol. confe the ement a such FURNITURE REDUCED 259 to SOY During This July Clearance SALLE LOUIS HERRUP COMPLETE HOMEFURNISHER 1052-58 MAIN STREET, Hartford, Near Morgan