The Key West Citizen

VIKING NATIONS SHARPEN SWORDS TO KEEP THEMSELVES OUT OF WAR

By WILLIAM McGAFFIN
AP Feature Service Writer

LONDON, Dec. 24.—Peace-loving Sweden bought another ultra-modern bomber from Britain the other day and flew it home as a model for the construction of a host of duplicates.

This is but one example of how those four arch-pacifists—Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland—are sharpening their swords to keep their little world safe for neutrality.

They have set up informally a league of nations of their own to do the job the moribund world league couldn't do for them. And, make no mistake, they are giving their league teeth.

Two Goals, Two Fears

They have their heads together now on:

Military plans for common assistance to defend neutrality.

The sharing of raw materials and foodstuffs difficult to get in case of war.

Two fears, they say, dominate their discussions:

The possibility of a German attack on Denmark, part of which belonged to Germany before the World war.

The possibility of a Russian attack on Finland, which belonged to Russia before the war.

The Viking nations would not go down without a fight. But in addition to the overwhelming odds against them, there would be the problem of getting help to Denmark or Finland.

Air Base Problem

They admit that in case of a direct attack against one of them, there is little the others could do.

But the alliance could be used to help maintain freedom of trade, or, perhaps, to reject the application of a foreign power for an air base.

It is their ideal location for an air base that makes the Aland Islands one of Scandinavia's hot spots today.

Situated between Sweden and Finland, they're almost as important to Scandinavia as Gibraltar is to Great Britain.

And they're not fortified!

They belonged to Russia when Finland was Russian. When Finland broke away, the islands were neutralized, but Sweden and Finland are working out plans for a common defense of the islands.

The huddle on defense is but an extension of the co-operation which has been going on in other Scandinavian spheres for some time.

Embarrassing Iron

Sweden has an edge on the others through an abundance of iron ore. But she is not very happy about it.

Here's the situation: Germany, whose armament factories seemingly have an insatiable appetite for iron ore, imports nearly a third of her supply from Sweden.

In case of war, England and France, Swedish experts expect, probably would ask Sweden to stop shipments. If she did, it's a question whether Germany would regard this as a breach of neutrality.

"She could, of course," the Swedes tell you morosely.

Denmark is nervous, too.

Known as England's breadbasket, she supplies more foodstuffs to Britain than any of her northern sisters. Germany, it has been suggested, might as a consequence bomb Denmark if there were no other way to stop the flow of food during a war.

These northern nations do not know how successful they will be with "armed neutrality." But they agree with the Swedish foreign minister who said in a speech last spring,

"It's worth trying."

Denmark and Norway are backward in a military way, and the four powers together had an army a year ago estimated at less than 100,000 (capable, however, of expansion to several hundred thousand) and only about 500 planes.

Field For Propaganda

The tragedy of it all for Scandinavia, according to astute observers, is that she may just be building up an ante for the Franco-British war pot. Public sentiment, they say, has changed in Scandinavia since she successfully kept out of the last war—and, incidentally, laid part of the foundation for her present prosperity.

Nowadays, observers aver, the countries are permeated with such a strong pro-Franco-British and violent anti-Nazi sentiment that it would be easy for British propagandists to swing them into the allies' camp.

Scandinavia held aloof during the recent big war scare. But she admits it's going to be much more difficult to keep out of the "next" war.