PEASANTS SHOULDER THE BURDEN.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1980, 10 February 1914, Page 7

PEASANTS SHOULDER THE BURDEN.

' —♦> —« SWEDEN'S LOYAL SUBJECTS. WILL PAY FCJR DEFENCE, EXTRAORDINARY DEMONSTRATION, By Tclceraph-Preas AEsioiation-ConrrtjiM _ Stockholm, February 8. • ilurty-twc special trains brought the peasants to the city. They attended the churches prior to marching, with banners, to tlte Royal Castle, to petition King (tustavus in favour of an immediate increase iu the national armament. ..Two hundred delegates, of which ten were from cash province, surrounded the King's dais, and affirmed their willingness to bear the burden of increased armaments. Thunders of applause greeted tho King's- reply. The demonstration is the more noteworthy because until 1888 the peasants wore a sep-iitatc estate of the realm. THE NATIONAL ANTHEM. "Tunes"—.Sydney "Sun" Special Cables. Stockholm) February 8. Special trains were crammed with peasants, who demonstrated in front of the Palace. Multitudes sang the National Anthem, the King joining in. "Sweden is once more seriously agitated by ivhat is colled. the 'Itu&ian menace. For many years that 'danger' has been discussed periodically at great length, but now it is being taken more seriously than -eve* Were," says the Stockholm eorrespondint. Jnnknd is being thoroughly Sussianlsod, a«d Sweden feds that as there is no buffer-state between her and Russia, her position, is Dcconiins more difficult nntl dangerous. "Br. Svoii Hedin, the famous Swedish explorer, has teen drawing the attention m km countrymen to thr> matter in the most and painted fashion. 'Since Sweden was forced to give up Finland,' ha declared, 'out oountty has never at any time been overrun to such m\ extent by Russian spies. What docs this mean in time of deepest pdace?' he asks, and his answer is: 'It means war!' J'Di 1 . llotlJn d«ckros that he has broken, off all personal- relations—a considerable sacrifice —with Russia., so that lie may be Hi a position to to-fl his own countrymen 'Hie. whole bitter truth with regard to the intentions of Russia/ He pleads for fte sirenethening of Swedish defwaees as the country, in his opinion, niight also Ijp threatened by Norway. . : *' "Politically, , he poos on. to declnre, 'Norway is entirely dependeat on England, ami Norway's fWs-ifMn. as far as forp-mn nffttirs an concerned, i<?. dia- ■ metrically opposed to that of Sweden. bvtden ean oiilv. thorsfere, restart! IWwny n= she ssonUl an enemy. In alliance with Russia, Jiorway will \e able to net agarast us. and we m-ust not sjnit our ores to that factor in Hie 'situation, Beto new. Norway has ztnVhei Us in the back at' times- when things weto going against us, "'.Norway lia-S aft aifliy wlvich can be inob.iltsed (juietly -and quickly, so that she can help Russia in a manner which. wouM bo very dangerous to its. " 'It imij-t not. tlicrefoftH surprise us when, at the moment of Russian agfresslen, Norwegian troops act vi.th her I>y n!;taek|nir the Province of Jaitteland (in (he middle of Sivcdea). Many Jfonvfcgia'iw lisrbom , strong- hopes at the reconqnest of that province together with tlioso of Harjedalu and Boimdan. (All three proviiices once belonged to Xorwny.) '"Russia has her eye on tile ite-frcc ports of northern Norway, and she might obtain -them by allßwing Norway to comv ponsate hor.=elf l>y. seizing the three provinces mentioned. . "'lf anyone says that Norway woiild ■■not.do such a tiling, then I rer/fy: "Hni'B vau' fprgotfien the events of 1905!" By breaking tho uiiioji, Norway did srea't harm to Sweden, and wliafc p;unrante*s have- ive that she will not harm- ns again?' "Or. Modin's bitter attack on Norway is, of coni'se; fiercely resented by Norwegians and the Norwegian Press,' and it must bo said that tlie fcivfeiKsli pennlo ate. not inclined to fook upon tlie 'Nor-, ffegian dangbr' as -vetjr s.crious."