An article on "The Scandinavian Navies," published in Collier's Weekly, is made the object of some criticism in a communication to the Skandinaven. While the Swedes are said to be the best "sailors in the world" and the Danish sailors are complimented, the tars of Norway receive no special mention. These and other sins of commission or omission the writer regards as misleading and unjust, and he thinks the Skandinaven ought to reprint the article and correct its mistakes.

The writer is justified in his criticism. Yet it is but fair to assume that the author of "The Scandinavian Navies" wrote his rather unpretentious skit in a spirit of impartiality. His article reads in part as follows:

"All know that the Swedes are reputed the best sailors in the world. This 2is a legacy from their forefathers. But few are aware that this little country, hardly larger than one of our middle states, possesses an effective navy.

"The ironclads (and Sweden will soon have ten) are ships of about 3,500 tons or the size of our cruiser 'New Orleans'. Their armament is heavy for the size of the ships, and consists of two turret guns and six medium calibre quick-firers which, together with the smaller pieces, make them very formidable. The inventive genius of the Swedes is well known and the navy is quick to adopt all that is newest and best in naval and gunnery construction. The ships of the Njord class embody some new ideas worth a naval attache's attention, and the Swedish navy was the first one to do away with the heavy military mast and its cumbersome fighting top, substituting therefore a signal mast with platform for lookouts and searchlights.

"The personnel is of a high class, especially regarded so by Russia, Sweden's historic enemy. Few of the doings of the naval world escape the 3attention of the Swedish officer, who, besides being an excellent seaman, is usually accomplished in other directions. A few thousand men make up the standing navy. It is remarkable how quickly the Swedish boys who begin service in the fleets are licked into shape, and how much their shore training has already brought out. They have the true sailor look and instincts, and the honor of the navy can rest safely upon their shoulders.

"The Norwegian navy is exceedingly small. There are only a few ships, but nevertheless, under the three-tongued flags sail the strongest ships afloat for their size--the 'Eidsvold' and the 'Norge'. These vessels, built by the Armstrongs, are most powerfully armed, and fairmly bristle with quick-firers. Two other battleships, the 'Harald Haarfager' and the 'Tordenskjold,' heavily armed but somewhat smaller, make up the first line of defense. The navy has another distinction which shows that the Norwegian naval man understands the value of torpedoes in waters like those of Norway. It owns the first torpedo boat ever built, the 'Rapp'--once the hope of 4Thornycroft, the English torpedo-boat builder--now a relic housed in a shed at Karljohansvaern, the principal naval station of the country.

"The Danes are a peaceful people, not fond of fighting, and will not fight until forced to, and they have not devoted their energies and treasure in perfecting a navy equal to that of the other Scandinavian countries. The fighting ships are few and most of these are very small and more or less obsolete. Three ships of the modern type, however, are building, but will not be completed for some time. The navy has several officers who are strong believers in the submarine. The interest in this type of fighting vessel is very high in Denmark, due, of course, to the hope that it may supersede big battleships and extensive fleets that are too costly for a little kingdom.

"The Dane is a fine seaman. This is to be expected of the men of these northern countries whose history abounds with tales of the heroic vikings, 5terrors of all waters, the conquerors on sea and land, and the first to cross the North Atlantic and discover America."

An estimate of the comparative strength of the Scandinavian navies depends to some extent upon the point of view. According to the author in Collier's Weekly, the Danish navy is not equal to that "of other Scandinavian countries". If he intends to say that it is inferior to the combined navies of Norway and Sweden, he is undoubtedly right. If he means that it is not equal to the navy of either Norway or Sweden, he will find plenty Danes ready to dispute his assertion. Denmark has two battleships of the third class, while neither Sweden nor Norway is credited with any ship of this order. The Danish navy also has the advantage in number of guns, big and small, and in the number of vessels of all descriptions. But it is true that many of the warships of Denmark are of somewhat antiquated types, and it may be that in effective fighting strength the Danish navy at present falls behind that of either Norway or Sweden.

The navy of Sweden is somewhat larger than that of Norway, but whether it 6is stronger is perhaps doubtful. The four battleships of Norway are newer, larger, and considerably stronger than any of the seven battleships of Sweden, and on the whole the navy of Norway is the more modern in ships and armament. But Sweden is building at a more rapid rate and in a few years will possess a navy of considerable strength for purposes of coast defense.

If the author intended to say that the Swedes are better sailors than any other in the world, he is wrong; if he meant that they are among the best sailors, he is right. The Scandinavians, taken as a group, make the best sailors in the world. This is generally admitted even by English shipowners, and "this is expected of the men of these northern countries". As between the three countries, the Norwegian sailors are generally given the preference. This, too, is to be expected. Norway has more sailors than Sweden and Denmark combined, and in proportion a much larger number of people who make their living on the sea either as fishermen or sailors. For this reason it would be a reflection upon the people of Norway if the Norwegian sailor, generally speaking, did not compare favorably with the sailors of Denmark and Sweden.

The author of "The Scandinavian Navies" is apparently an American naval officer. He has written more extensively about the Swedish navy because that is the one of the three he knows best, and because he appears to have formed pleasant friendships among Swedish naval officers who, by the way, deserve the praise bestowed upon them. If his desire to do full justice to his Swedish friends has led him to make statements that by inference may be regarded as unjust to the Norwegians as seamen, or belittling the navies of Norway and Denmark, he ought not be suspected of wilful misrepresentation. He speaks with due appreciation of all Scandinavian countries and their peoples. However, if he really does not know that Norway, which has a greater merchant marine than France, and ranks fourth among the great maritime countries, can boast the best sailors in the world, he is guilty of an ignorance that is inexcusable in a young officer of the American navy.