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48 SWEDISH NEUTRALITY [chap, xviii.
would take up : Russia was beginning to be more and
more cut off from her allies, and consequently it was
necessary for her to secure transit for goods and
passengers across the Scandinavian Peninsula.
However, after the first few months of the wan
Sweden’s behaviour caused us—on the spot, at least—far
less anxiety than at first. The desire for the preservation
of peace became more and more apparent in the
country-When the Riksdag of " national defence" had served its
term, it was dissolved, and another Riksdag resulted
from the elections, which in the Upper Chamber gave
the majority to the Conservatives, and in the Second
Chamber to the Liberals and Socialists. This Riksdag
begged the Hammarskiold-Wallenberg Ministry—due
to resign—to remain at the head of affairs till the end of
the war, a most wise resolution, securing under
extraordinarily difficult circumstances the frank collaboration
of the Crown with national representation.
Personally I could not but approve of this solution.
M. Wallenberg had given us proof of great honesty of
purpose and perfect impartiality—through this
impartiality we could sometimes even perceive that M.
Wallenburg was framing no vows for the German cause ;
he realised that German victory would mean the end of
the independence of Sweden, and that Sweden had and
would always have need of the good-will of France and
Great Britain.
One of M. Wallenberg’s first acts, when the Cabinet
had agreed to the extension of his term of office, was to
propose to the King that there should be a meeting of
the three Scandinavian Sovereigns. This would be the
first occasion since the separation of the Swedish and
Norwegian Crowns on which the King of Sweden would
meet the new King of Norway, Haakon VII.
Wallenberg easily gained his cause. King Gustaf willingly—at
this solemn hour—buried his personal susceptibilities,
if he still had any. The meeting took place at MalmO
and was extremely cordial. A programme for the
conduct of the three countries with regard to the formklable
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