AALAND ISLANDS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 November 1939, Page 6

AALAND ISLANDS

VITAL TO BALTIC NAVAL STRATEGY. THREE HUNDRED IN GROUP. The vital importance of the Aaalancl Islands, which have been figuring in the negotiations between Finland and Russia, is stressed by Finnish officials. who state that the kings of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, wishing to urge Finnish moderation, must realise that even for themselves it would bo a serious matter to accept Russian control of Hango or the Aaland Islands. The islands caused a storm early this year because Finland and Sweden moved to fortify them, and to develop anew the naval bases there which were demilitarised m 1921.

The Islands lie in the narrow entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia which separates Finland from Sweden, and are very important in Baltic naval strategy. The 1921 agreement was an international convention and camo about when the dispute between Finland and Sweden was referred to the League of Nations b.y Britain. The independence of Finland after the World Wai' was followed by an expressed desire on the part of the islanders to return to Sweden, and the League decided in favour of Finnish sovereingty. The convention was signed by the British Empire countries, France, and Italy and by all the Baltic nations except Russia. Finland's right to take measures in the islands depended on her fearing immediate attack, and the measures were limited to such as would enable her to hold back an aggressor until the League and the signatory Powers could intervene.

Until recent years Finland and 1 Sweden (the capital of which is 1 only 15 minutes by air from the * Aaland Islands) considered this ar- ' rangement satisfactory. But the era ' of adventures in Europe brought a desire for action, and in .'lnly last yearj‘ they sought the ending of the convert-i lion. and. the consequent ending of the 1 neutrality of the islands. Both conn- ’ tries are afraid of the way which the I j strategic situation could be used to I ‘ apply pressure to them if a groat I I Power obtained possession ol the i ( Aalnnds. ; c The first move by the two Baltic i‘ States was checked by the Czcehoslo-' 1 vak crisis of September. They there- ' upon agreed to move the neutralised 1 zone to the north so that certain out- 1 lying islands might be exempted from ■ the prohibition. This act brought strong' representations from Russia, which op- 1 posed it on the ground that the Finns t were "pro-German.” ' '■ Russia's present coastline (an ex- ' tremely short one) lies v.p the Gull ot t Finland, which is dominated by the I Aaland Islands. However, a joint Fin- • nish-Swedish agreement to fortify the | ; islands was announced early this year. , : The Aaland Islands are a remark- F ably group physically. Although theirfi total area is only about 550 square ? miles, there are about 300 islands in i . the group. About 80 of them are in.,-.fl habited principally by seamen anfftsh-I erinon.