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Thrice weekly Nazi troops avoid the dangers of coastal sea transport by traveling overland through Sweden from Storlien farther north to Riksgränsen. But most galling of all are the two "Reichswehr special" trains, sealed and guarded by Swedish soldiers, packed each day with 1,000 German troops being relieved at Oslo and replaced by fresh troops from Germany. The sight of well-fed Germans hanging out of train windows, yoohooing at Swedish girls, and carrying packages of food, butter and herrings out of starving Oslo is almost too much to stomach. So much public pressure has built up that a secret session of the Riksdag last week was reported to have considered means of ending the traffic. That problem was the key to the diplomacy by which Sweden has survived so far: by judging when to make concessions—willingly to the Allies,* under pressure to the Germans.
Nazis in the Woodpile. The Allies can thank Sweden for the cold-blooded wisdom of refusing to allow British and French troops transit to the Finnish-Russian front in 1940. Had that been allowed, the alignment of Russia on the side of the Allies might never have occurred. Now the Swedes quibble ever absolute neutrality by insisting that troops moving between Norway and Germany carry no arms.
For the moment the formula works, but the day may soon come when Germany may ask for the right to ship fully equipped troops in vastly increased numbers. That day will come if the Allies move into Norway. And that is the point at which Sweden's neutrality will get its final test. If the Swedes refuse and Germany attacks Sweden, then, and only then, will Sweden go to war. The Swedes say that they will refuse further concessions and if the refusal means war, Ja Visst is all right with them. A stubborn neutral is getting mad.
Sweden's Royalty. In Sweden, where the tradition of democracy is more than 500 years old, even the royal houses, like the Swedish forests, labor-employer relations, cooperatives, cheese factories and representative government, must be well run. In this orderly pattern Sweden's Crown Prince and Duke of Skone, Oscar Fredrik Wilhelm Olaf Gustaf Adolf, has found his niche.
An archeologist of distinction, a quiet, intelligent man who gives the impression of having closely scrutinized the world and found that it has to be accepted, Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf represents the stolid virtues of his people. At 60 he plays tennis, as does his father, King Gustaf V, who is nearly 85 years old. He is better at golf, which his father disdains as an old man's game. Last week, speaking English with an Oxford accent, he oozed charm and cordiality to the visiting American journalists. His people like him personally better than they like the King.
The Prince has been married twice, first to Margaret, daughter of Britain's Duke of Connaught and granddaughter of Queen Victoria, who bore him four sons and a daughter. The eldest son and heir apparent to the throne is Prince Gustaf Adolf, a mere youngster of 37 with three charming daughters, Margaretha, Birgitta and Désirée.* The daughter, Ingrid, is married to Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark. The second son, Sigvard, married a commoner. The other two sons, Bertil and Carl Johan, are with the Swedish Navy and Army.