With the, German press and radio continuing its campaign of hate against the Swedish, the familiar old process of bringing about an atmosphere in which the long expected invasion, of Sweden will receive some shadow of ju cation is being carried out. The consensus of fepinion seems to support the view that an attack upon Sweden is now only a matter of few days, some observers going the length of factually naming a date upon which such a move.is to be expected. It is indeed dimeult to see how Herr Hitler, having gone so far in this gamble in the Scandinavian peninsula, can now hold his hand. Quite obviously he is not obtaining what he sot out to secure, through Norway, for the port of Narvik is closed to Swedish fron' ore exports and the only chance of getting [such supplies during the summer will through the Swedish port of Lules, which should be freed of ice by the end of next month. With Lulea in German hands the Reich would, providing the Swedish failed to destroy. the mines, be able (o command @ regular supply of fore throughout the summer, though it would bbe necessary for the Germans to recover con trol of Narvik to ensure that similar supplies Would be available during the winter. Sweden, with a fleet consisting of eight coastal defence battleships, two cruisers, one aircraft carrier, sixteen destroyers and a similar number of submarines, should be able seriously to impede, Hf not actually defeat any German attempt 10 seize the Aaland Islands controlling the entrance the Gulf of Bothnia, while on land its well equipped and substantial army should be able to render effective assistance to the Allied forees in their endeavour to bring Herr Hitler's Scandinavian venture to the Inglorious end hoped for it. In this connection the comment by the Stockholm correspondent of the "Dally Telegraph" is not without interest. The naval factions which have taken place between the Allied and German fleets have led to the in-fiction of grave losses on the Germans. The German Navy, built for the express purpose of [maintaining domination over the Baltic, is no longer of sufficient strength to be able to do so, It is no longer mistress of that stretch of water, and cannot expect to support with naval power an invasion of Sweden, while what naval force still remains to her is neces-[sary for the maintenance of the precarilines of communication between Germany Jand southern Norway, and the possibility is that fany invasion of Sweden would be across water ways which could be easily. and quickly traversed. Should Germany seize the Aaland Islands which dominate the entrance to the Gulf of Finland it will be interesting to see what the Russian reaction will be. Such an occupation would serve very grecily to offset the [dominating positions the Soviet has secured for self in the Baltic and might in certain cireumstances be a positive danger to the Russian position in the region of Petrograd. It is not [suggested for one moment that Herr Hitler contemplates hostilities against Russia, but there is evidence of a cooling of the recently inspired affection between the two. countries anda fereater disposition on the part of Herr Hitler to woo Rome again. Of one thing there can be the completest certainty; if it suits Herr Hitler's book to disregard Russian intentions and wishes the Baltic, no consideration of past or present understandings will for one moment deter him. He has already been disappointed as to th
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