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Taranaki Daily News, 20 September 1916, Page 4

SWEDEN LOOKING FOR TROUBLE.

According to the Norwegian Morgeu!Mndet, Scandinavia is the only iiole in the ring surrounding the Central Powers, and it is Britain's policy to close tliis hole, because it is believed to Le the only way to shorten the 'war. This pronouncement arises out of the Allies' Note to Sweden protesting against th<; Swedish measures regulating the navigation of territorial waters in the Baltic. The necessity for that Note was unquestionable. Sweden lias been'playing fast and loose with the Allies under the cloak of neutrality to suit her own ends, and to keep on the .right side of Germany, whom, doubtless, s'lie considers WBuld protect her if any external trouble arose. Probably Sweden might have been deemed wise in her generation if the Germans hart gained the upper hand, but under present conditions, and those which must prevail in the future, there is no hope of help from the Central Powers. The French Note clearly pointed out the favoritism that Sweden was extending to Germany as against the Allies, and this partiality has become sn pronounced that Britain Ims not only protested, but lias taken the practical remedy of strengthening the blockade so as to affect Sweden as well as Germany. Sweden has prevented submarine navigation in territorial waters, except to German submarines, which are employed under a commercial pretext. Sweden reserves a route through the minefields of the Kogund Pass for Swedish vessels only, which is a deliberate contravention of the Franco-Swedish commercial treaty, and closes against non-Swedish vessels the only route from the Sound to the Baltic which is out p£ reach of

Gorman war vessels, but keeps open the Oalinas Strait, which is only accessible to Swedish and German vessel,;. Practically, Sweden lias completed Germany's Baltic harrier between the Russians and the Angio-French. She could not possibly have done more to favor Germany at the expense of the Allies, and yet when a protest is made by Britain against this one-sided neutrality, Sweden refuses to discuss the matter, and intimates that she intends to act as s'lie pleases. It is as well for the Allies to understand where they are as regards Sweden, and after the insolent reply received they can only treat her as inimical to their interests, The attitude adopted by -Sweden is likely to prove extremely dangerous to that country, although it may not lead to any act of open hostility. There is little doubt that German gold and German propaganda have done their work. The pity of it is that Sweden has ijot sufficient sense to look ahead. Germany has been only too eager to use her as a means to an end, and had Germany been victorious in the present war there would have been an end to Sweden. From that catastrophe she is being saved by the very nations whom she is doing her best to injure. Neither Britain nor liussia will tamely submit to ; be limited by such a fourth-rate Power as Sweden, and in the general adjustment after the war she may find that her policy has ruined her prospects and probably curtailed her privileges. At present Sweden is-look-ing for trouble, and she may uot look in vain.-