THE BALTIC.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 182, 27 April 1908, Page 7

THE BALTIC.

A CONVENTION. NEW GUARANTORS.OF STATUS QUO. ALAND ISLANDS. BT TELEGItArH—riIKBS ASSOCIATION— COPTRIOnI London, April 24. Russia, Germany, Sweden, and Denmark havo signed a convention for preservation of the status quo in the Baltic Sea. Tho convention contains a clause reserving Russia's sovereign rights. This leaves the. door open for a possible revival of the Aland Islands question. : TERRITORIAL GUARANTEES. . The position in respect of the Aland islands was explained yesterday. The cablegrams yesterday also stated, that tho treaty of 1855, under which Britain, and France guaranteed the territorial .integrity of tho thou , united kingdom of Sweden and Norway, had been abrogated as regards Sweden. In' its place now co'mes the 6tatus quo guarantee by the four Baltic. Powers. There is nothing to indicate that Sweden has withdrawn her protest against the fortification of tho Aland islands. Status quo guarantee treaties have for some time been the fashion. First camo the . Japaneso'serics, under which most of Hie interested Powers, qxcepti Germany agreed with .Tapan to maintain the present position in. the Far East. Then Britain and Franco came to. a similar .understanding with Spain, with regard to the Iberian Peninsula. and tho Western Mediterranean. , The Anslo-Gehnan North' Sea agreement and the Baltic convention are the latest developments. .