SCANDINAVIA: Help Wanted

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Norway, like Sweden, rushed reinforcements of arms, men and supplies to her northernmost positions, which would be threatened by the Russian capture of Petsamo. But with neither roads nor railways to the Arctic, Norway could do little to protect her iron mines at Kirkenes or her garrisons at Vadso and Vardo. From this territory civilians were evacuated and refugee Finns sent southward to be cared for by the Government.

If weather and valor and Russian blunders are not enough, if Finland fails, if Scandinavia has to fight, its three nations can muster between them less than 1,000,000 men, of which Sweden would furnish more than half. The Swedish Air Force has some 250 planes, Norway's and Denmark's less than 100 each. Sweden has a small but efficient Navy of six cruisers, three pocket battleships, five coast defense ships, one aircraft carrier, eight destroyers, eight torpedo boats, 16 submarines and 31 motor torpedo boats. Neither Norway nor Denmark has anything that might be called a navy.

Scandinavia's predicament was reflected by the Oslo Aftenposten, which suggested that the U. S. help Finland with munitions, airplanes and fliers, since "no European State can effectively help Finland." In that the Aftenposten was mistaken. The only State in the world which surely can save Scandinavia from Russian conquest is Germany.