SWEDEN AND THE WAR

Evening Post, Volume XCII, Issue 100, 25 October 1916, Page 7

SWEDEN AND THE WAR

A ■CONSUL'S IMPRESSIONS,

"The British are absolutely crazy over the Australians. They-think they are wonderful, particularly since the Big Push commenced in France, and they can't do enongh for them." This statement was made last week by Mr. J. D. Waern, Swedish Consul at Melbourne, who has just returned, after a six months' tour of Sweden and Great Britain.

Mr. Waern went.away on a business trip to Sweden, but he journeyed to Great Britain to see his son, who is with the Australian Forces. He said that Great Britain was wonderful—an absolute eye-opener. Nobody could conceive what was being done to win the war. It was one mass of soldiers from end to end. Uniformed men were to be seen in thousands everywhere. It was just a huge armed camp, and the people were not only making munitions for their own soldiers, but for all the Allies. One munition factory he went over was three miles long.

The majority of the Swedish people were distinctly pro-Ally. There were a few, like Sven Hedin, the author, who were making <a noise and. creating the impression that, the nation favoured Germany. But there was no doubt that the whole of the working and middle classes wanted the Allies to win. The conditions in Sweden were bad, as supplies had been cut short. Imports had fallen off SO per cent. The Government was strictly neutral, and all trading was done by license. The people were actually suffering od account of the shortage. Sugar and some other commodities were very short, and the people' bad to get tickets in. order to secure small quantities. Nevertheless' tlse predominatingfeeling was in favour of tlte Allies.

As a result of Mr. Waern's visit to Sweden, Aga automatic lights, which are used in the lighthouses on the Australian coast, will in future be manufactured, in Australia. The raw material will be imported from Sweden, and will be made up ill Australia.