POSITION OF SWEDEN

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2228, 14 August 1914, Page 6

POSITION OF SWEDEN

A FACTOR IN NORTHERN' , EUROPE HER WARLIKE ASSETS ' Tho position of Sweden ia tlie present war is sufficiently critical to lend a good deal of interest to a Purvey of her mili- ! tary, naval, and : financial resources' .which was written in/the. early part of this year by the military correspondent ot the London "Times." Ho remarked that while the role of Sweden and of her ■ sister Scandinavian , States in Northern Europo nad hitherto attracted comparatively little attention in England this neglect was undeserved. British arniiEs and fleets j had appeared in the Baltic in former days, and-might appear there again. Britain would not much longer b , . 1 able to'ignoro the Baltic, in view of uaval .developments which were taking place there., VThese developments may influence materially the .march of, events .ia a principal theatre of marifime war, and consequently Uhey interest' us both on their, political and military side." - The Swedish Army is described as a purely defensive organisation, whioh has ■been builti up like that of other, little nations because a steady .decline in the land forces ■of Great Britain (their natural protector) relatively to those of other Powers and a tendency manifested by these Powers to sacrifice their lesser iifiteis , rather 'than-fall out amongst themselves, has compelled the lesser nations to look more closely to their defences than formerly. The natural and.: correct peace strategy for tho Scandinavian States, the - limes" correspondent remarks, is. to- make-, common cause with, 'one.another,, but the dissolution of tho J union of ■ Sweden and Norway -is of too, ' recent a date to allow the former country to pursue such a policy aiden!tly at pre>. sent. ..-'■■ ■ The Swedish army is: recruited and trained on the lines advocated by: Lord Roberts, and the-National Service League,. Drill aid-musketry aro.taugh't' in the , State schools,, and liability- to eerve, be-' gins 'at the age of 'Si".and. lasts till the end of the fortieth year. • The. gross effectives available ,in- tho .first line arid reserves number 485,000. Some reforms are said to'be necessaryr-notably..an. ex-.. tension of the,training period—but Sweden is" credited' with having 'shown that .a" numerous ..army' can easily bo'raised-on ■■ Lord JRoberts's. lines, ,and an army ..with. a standard of efficiency which can easily . be raised;, to that of regular troops. -, Projected reforms are. likely to extend to the Navy,' which has been somewhat, neglected. The bulk of it consists ,of. a dozen email, slow, and weakly-armed-'«oast-defence ships.. averaging 3500 tons, displacement and launched between 1886 ' and- 1905. There is, hbweveri -building, as a'result of patriotic subscriptions/the ■ Sverige, a. 6590-ton battleship, to bo 'armed , with four llin. and eight 6in. gnns. ,Thia ship is designed for a speed, of-22} knotsana is- to draw only 6.3, (approximately:; ■ Sift.) metres. There are besides one '~ annoured .cruiser launched in 1905, ebme f5 monitors,' old- cruisers,- and-gunboats of' little fighfing value/IS destroyers,' 45 ■ torpedo-boate; and : six submarines,! besides four others building. .'.'■'.;. . ■■■ "The Baltic is not an enticing sea forDreadnoughts, ' and Sweden could not afford them if it were. Her-main ijliance is upon.her flotillas; bmt she holds . ; , .that these must/.be supported by larger ships with a fair and modern armament. ■ If these ships aro,of.light;draught it is believed that 'they could.act■,effectively., in-waters where.-,great ships could, not; follow thejn, and particularly among the y. islands whiih stud the-coast -of Sweden. It must also be remembered that.the . Baltic is liable to be frozen -during .the winter, and that'at such times submarines are practically useless.. We must. therefore Anticipate that, whUe .expanding; Her: flotillas, : S\yedon- will-, endeavour, to com- ' plete a 6ciuatlKin at least of the Sverige of Sweden ia : extremely, etrong, because therejs practically no publip debt. The State, lia-. biUties- hav6.bee'n contracted exclusively, for -railways; and' though these liabilities amount to 34 millions; sterlings the inter- -■ esb on them '$s; covered by. -the 'railway receipts.' The State possesses i great as--sets amounting to a thousand million tocnoHn all (about i 55,000,000).> Time nothing 'would be easier than for Sweden, to give any reasonable development to her defences, and it is, certain that, the effective defence of .Sweden wiU contribute materially to,the stability of Northern ■■ Europe." ' ■ r ;-' ' : _ ' ' ■-..-