The Threats to Scandinavia
Norway and Sweden are being threatened no less openly, but from another quarter. It looks indeed as if a close working arrangement had been reached between Germany and Russia in regard to Northern Europe. The Berlin Press, which till recently had been delivering violent attacks on the Scandinavian countries for alleged unneutral conduct, has now discontinued the campaign, which the Moscow papers have taken up still more blatantly. Notes, more- over, have been addressed to both Oslo and Stockholm by the Soviet Government, declaring that the pro-Finnish attitude of the two Scandinavian countries towards Finland might lead to "undesirable complications." To this both Governments have made spirited replies, declaring, what is strictly true, that neither has been guilty of any unneutral action, and commenting on the fact that the protest was received on a day on which Soviet aeroplanes had openly violated both Swedish and Norwegian territory. Both countries are increasing their unofficial help to Finland. In Sweden in particular popular sympathy with the Finns is so strong that the most the Government can do is to see to it that all the Swedes going to help Finland are strictly volunteers, and all the help given unofficial. It is obvious that if Sweden is really threatened by Russia her best defence is support of Finland. But it is still possible that the real danger is from Germany.
