THE ALAND ISLANDS.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 May 1918, Page 6

THE ALAND ISLANDS.

SWEDEN HOODWINKED. London, March 8. The friendly neutrality of Sweden seems to have been rather badly imposed upon by Germany in the matter of the Aland Islands. This group, which is sprinkled across the Baltic between the nearest points of Finland and Sweden, at the southern end of the Gulf of Bothnia, was regarded as being so vital to Sweden that in the treaty of Berlin it was expressly stipulated that Russia should not fortify them. When Russia collapsed and her disintegration became imminent, Sweden showed considerable anxiety about the future of the islands. Although they were unfortified there were garrisons representing both Russia and. the Republican Government of Finland, and Swedish diplomacy was directed towards securing the continued neutralisation of the group in the interests of the inhabt. I'tants. Although it declared itself guiltless of any intention of armod intervention the Government said, in the Second I Chamber, that the forces fighting for order and lawful government in the Alands had all their sympathy. Sweden had refused to provide arms or passage for arms for the Government of Finland, but this refusal was not of material consequence, as arms could be obtained elsewhere. The Government was negotiating for the evacuation of the islands by both Russians and Finns. Tho "elsewhere" from which the arm* were to be obtained was, of course, Germany, and it was announced at the same sitting that 100,000 rifles and ammunition had been forwarded to the islands. The Swedish Government succeeded in its endeavour to arrange a mutual evacuation, and a Swedish naval expedition left Stockholm amid great enthusiasm to take off the troops and such of the inhabitants as could not be fed. Both paraies of combatants were to leave the forts and all war material in charge of the inhabitants, assisted by the Swedish forces, whose duties were to be purely those of police and would in no way prejudice the political international question concerning the Alands, which was left for future agreement between the Swedish and Finnish Governments. GERMANY STEPS IN. The next step, which must surely have been obvious to Sweden, was a formal notification from the German Govern < ment that the Kaiser had been appealed to by the Finnish Government to reduce the country to order, and that a German expedition to set things right in Finland would use the Aland island as a base. The German Minister added, says thb Stockholm correspondent of The Times, that Germany, having no territorial interests in the islands, and recognising the vital importance of them to Sweden, readily admits that the question must be settled by direct agreement with Sweden. The Swedish Government pro-' tested against any action which might drag the islands into the war and interfere with Sweden's humanitarian mission for the protection of the inhabitants. The Swedish commander was, however, informed of the approaching German expedition, and advised to behave with proper decorum. It is significant that in the German version of the Russian Peace Treaty is a provision that all the fortifications on tho Aland Islands are to be removed and that nil agreement i.s to be I jin.v hp'wern Germany. Rus?h l and Sweden for the permanon' • ' | tifViiio!' of the inlands. j There i- ir-'eat dismay and r ' • the I Pvcd'r'. rr.-ss .it the turn affair* lmvc i i,, v ; r . w 0 f (], e (imidlty of the Swedish Government.