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1914] SVEN-HEDIN’S ACTIVITIES 265
I said above that German labours in Sweden went
on independently of the relations existing at such and
such a moment between Berlin and St. Petersburg.
Nevertheless, towards 1913, a recrudescence of, and
an added activity in, these labours was noticeable.
Apparently Berlin felt the great collision to be at hand—
ivished it to be at hand, I ought to say—and henceforth
Sweden must be "warmed up," her old grudges and new
fears with regard to Russia must be stirred up.
In September, the divorce of the Grand-Duchess
Marie created a coolness between the two Courts, and
made the position of the Russian Minister, the elegant
M. Savinsky, very difficult. In November, a still more
disagreeable incident occurred. The Russian military
attache, Colonel Assanovitch, was accused by the Press
and then by the Swedish Government even, of being a
spy or at least of being in close touch with very
suspicious individuals (Scandinavians, moreover) who
were arrested on a charge of spying. A letter was
even produced from the imprudent colonel to one of
these individuals. This disagreeable incident served as
a pretext for a whole campaign by the Press directed
against Russia. Sven-Hedin extracted from it some
fresh arguments, and multiplied his writings and
conferences on the theme of the Russian danger. The
public, with increasing vehemence, discussed the
inadequacy of Swedish armaments, and the problems of
national defence. Never before had Russian diplomatic
representation in Stockholm been in such a painful
position.
The Government, at that time belonging to the
Liberal Party (Staaf and Baron Ehrensvaerd), did all in
their power to calm people down, but their adversaries
then renewed their patriotic apprehensions, accused the
Liberals of not being aware of the great dangers Sweden
Minister of Finance. This construction was set aside, so as to get
on with the Trans-Siberian line. Then, the system still obtained of
only constructing lines by the State and out of the ordinary Budget of the
Empire.
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