FOREWORD 



A MONG the many arguments that have recently 

 -L\. been advanced in support of imperialistic am- 

 bitions and statesmanship, there is one that justifies 

 and demands aggression in the interest of human 

 culture. According to this rather plausible political 

 philosophy, it is the destiny of the smaller states 

 to be absorbed into the larger and stronger. The 

 application is not to be limited to the so-called 

 " backward races"; it is also extended to the lesser 

 peoples of Europe. JThese have, it is held, no real 

 right to an independent existence; only the great, 

 the powerful, and jjbf ""flk+y ^an^im th*'? priYlr, 

 lege, for they alone are able to render the higher 

 forms of service to civilization. 



To this theory thft hiatniy. of foe SngT^]'na.vJ5i.-n 

 1fl.TlHs r>TQVid**iSf cl COmpl^t** fl'rc.cl st^kinpf tvyf 1 1 tn/h nr| n 



In the drama of European development the North- 

 ern countries have played important and honorable 

 parts; but except for a brilliant period in Swedish 

 history (chiefly during the seventeenth century) 

 they have never weighed heavily in the Continental 

 balance. /Their geographical situation is unfavor- 

 able and their economic resources have never been 

 comparable to those of the more prominent states 

 beyond the Baltic and the North SeaA But when 



