Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1916. SOME UNEASY NEUTRALS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3560, 21 September 1916, Page 4

Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1916. SOME UNEASY NEUTRALS.

It appears to be probable that at. last the Balkan "problem" will be settled through the armed intervention of Britain, France, Russia, and Italy. For several centuries the Balkans people have j been obstructing traffic. They occupy one of the highways of the Old World, and whenever- any Asiatic race has experienced the "wanderlust," it has,at the outset been confronted with the necessity of massacring. a few thousand Balkan. peasants before it could reach its goal.. And when any of the great Christian Powers has deemed it necessary to " protect its vital interests in the Near East," it has had to step upon one or more Balkan States during the process.:; For these- reasons, the, Balkans, have,. always constituted a danger-zone, -and the; tiny flame that became ignited at 1 SeWjevo in June, 1914, and which has developed into !the mighty conflagration that is now raging,' appears likely to prove a veritable " cleansing fire," which will for ever settle the destinies of the warring 1 States. But while their fate is being de'eided, another problem is maturing on the western shores of Europe.: This concerns the Scandinavian and Dutch kingdoms, some; of n w.hich seem, to be drifting into' the dreadful maelstrom of the European T^ay. Yesterday's cable messages indicate that Denmark may enter the war on the side of; the,-, Allies- a few days ago Sweden practically threw down' .the gauntlet to Britain and France, and in her address at the opening of the Netherlands Parliament Queen Wilhelmina declared that preparations were being made to " defend the independence of the country '' from all who threatened it. Holland, has suffered greatly through the war, both through the British blockade and the torpedoing of her mercantile marine by the Germans. Her trade is alinqst at a standstill, and the food problem is a serious one. The people are almost wholly pro-Ally, but the Queen's consort is; a German prince—Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, who has introduced German customs which the people do not hesitate to openly condemn. The Queen dreads a German invasion, but her husband's influence is likely to widen the breach between the throne and the people, and a revolution ~is not unlikely should he. seek to press for intervention oiv the side of Germany. Just as France has nursed her determination to regain Alsace and Lorraine, so .Denmark has never given up hope of obtaining possession of her lost provinces of Schl^swig 'and Holstein, and she sees in the present war an opportunity of achieving her ambition. But here, also, the German element on the throne is likely to cause trouble. Kiiig Christian's consort is a German princess— Alexandrine of Mecklenburg— whose sympathies are violently pro-German, but the people have a wholesome dread of'''German ideals, and could not be induced to, form an alliance with their former . spoilers.*. King Gustavo, of Sweden, is a personal friend of the Kaiser, and his queen, Princess Victoria of Baden, has openly avowed her ardent sympathy ■with Germany. Ever since the war began Swedish ports have been used as shipping-points for food supplies and munitions to Germany, but when Britain asked that materials of war should be allowed to pass through Sweden' into Riissia, the Swedish Government placed insuperable obstacles, iiv the .way. Sweden may therefore share the fate of Greece. Norway has troubles of her own. The people are strongly'republican, »n# ka*e alvoy» resented tlu

foisting 1 upon them of , Prince diaries of Denmark, who is now King Haakon. The ruler they chose was a Scandinavian prince, whose wife was the Princess Maiid, third daughter of the late King Edward of England. If Norway surrenders her neutrality, it will be to join the Allies. Portugal is already a combatant against Germany, and recent happenings in Spain indicate ■ that she, too, cannot much longer play a Availing game. King Alphonso's sympathies are wholly English, and his wife, Princess Victoria of Battenb^nrg, is first cousin to King George of England. These conflicting interests and involved national aspirations truly form a problem more difficult to solve even than that of the Balkans. Study of them makes one realise' what a trying task the diplomats of Britain and France | must have, in addition to their 1 other -heavy responsibilities, to t guard against making a ■ false move; ■■■■in international negotia- j tioiis; •-. „; . .■^'•.Sia.'.-r ■" . • ' J