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To conciliate the Nazis and remove the temptation of invasion, the Swedish Government, over Norwegian protests, allowed a trainload of German food and medical supplies—at least so it was described—to be shipped through Sweden to the beleaguered Germans in Narvik. Also for "humanitarian purposes" the Swedes allowed German merchant seamen marooned in Narvik to return home through Sweden. If any plausible excuse could be provided, Sweden was prepared to placate Germany to avoid war.
What for Defense? For security Sweden last week looked to her own arms. Her Army of 885,000 men is well trained and one of the best equipped in the world. From the famed Bofors munitions works come the world's best anti-aircraft guns (to make up in part for Sweden's slim, 500-plane Air Force), machine guns, anti-tank guns, rifles, armored cars, tin hats. The Swedish Navy has three 7,000-ton vestpocket battleships carrying 11-inch Bofors guns, one combined cruiser and aircraft carrier, seven smaller coast-defense vessels, 16 destroyers, 16 submarines. Based at the old Hanseatic port of Visby on Gotland Island (whence come some of the world's finest roses), at Karlskrona across from Danzig and at Göteborg on the Kattegat, this Navy is now a close second to Germany's in the Baltic. Swedish coastal defenses at Göteborg, Kristianstad, Hälsingborg, Karlskrona and Stockholm could do an invader much damage and hold up his attack. Eventually the Allies might be able to send aid through Narvik and Trondheim.
Sweden can probably thank her military strength for still being at peace last week. But for it, Hitler would probably have included Sweden in his Blitzkrieg on Denmark and Norway. Herr Hitler has a weakness for a pushover, and if he had found Norway just a little bit easier he would have had Sweden locked in her room. But another reason for her still unviolated borders may be Sweden's weakness, and until last week this weakness was scarcely suspected outside of Sweden. Adolf Hitler may believe that he can get Sweden's iron and her arsenal, immobilize her Army and her Navy, without firing a shot or crossing a frontier uninvited.
Fifth Column. Sweden is a democratic country with a democratic King, a Social-Democratic Government, and the reputation of being one of the most liberal and socially progressive nations of the world. Within all such tolerant nations are extremists of the Right or the Left, usually willing to take the law into their own hands should the occasion arise. Add to this: 1) long and strong cultural and commercial ties between Sweden and Germany; 2) Sweden's traditional fear of Russia; 3) a Nazi network of friends and propaganda in Sweden. These things provide excellent makings of a Nazi fifth column in Sweden. This column penetrates almost every corner of Sweden, in a crisis might well out-quisle Quisling.
A Svenska National-Socialistika Parti (Nazi Party) existed in Sweden as far back as 1930, with a leader named Birger Furugärd and a slogan of "Sweden, Awake!" Later it merged with the larger National Socialist Workers Party founded in 1933 by Sven Olaf Lindholm, who likes to be called Sweden's Hitler. In the 1936 elections the combined parties polled 1.6% of the vote for the Riksdag. They have never won a Riksdag seat.