SWEDEN'S ROLE

Grey River Argus, 19 December 1940, Page 5

SWEDEN'S ROLE

Germany’s Trade Partners

[Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.]

(Received December 18, 10.20 p.m.) LONDON, December 18.

The “Times” Stockholm correspondent reports the conclusion of a Trade Agreement between Sweden and Germany for 1941. It envisages a turnover approaching 118 million pounds sterling, this making Sweden Germany’s most important trade partner, not excluding Russia. Sweden will thus retain comparatively a strong trading position, despite being hemmed in. Besides Sweden’s iron ore, at the same general price as in 1940, • the Swedish experts to Germany will mainly be timber, pulp and paper. SWEDISH CRITIC. ON TRIPARTITE PACTS. STOCKHOLM, December 18. A Swedish jurist and politician, M. • Osten Unden, in a speech on the Tripartite Pacts, said: The new order does not appeal to Sweden. It would mean small nations being placed in an indicated space, wherein they would lose independence, their industry being directed to suit the '

great power controlling that space. Subjugation or stiffing of free peoples can never be justified by claiming it is necessary' in the interests of any great Power. A durable peace is not to be secured by the partition of the world, and the making of small nations pauper inmates of great powers’ lebenstraum. Germany’s desire to obtain a base for operations against Britain was certainly the cause of the Norwegian conflict.