Sweden Wants Trade Outlets Beyond Europe

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 121, 23 May 1941, Page 2

Sweden Wants Trade Outlets Beyond Europe

STOCKHOLM. Sweden’s foreirn policy was outlined by the Alinister of Foreign Affairs (Air. Gunther) in a speech recently delivered in connection with a propaganda campaign for a new Swedish defence loan. Air. Gunther declared with emphasis that the Swedish Government would most decidedly and without reservation adhere to the course of foreign policy involving a strict neutrality in the war between the Great Powers, which it had followed hitherto, with the support of a united pdople. “During the Russo-Finnish War, which was of a local character, our attitude was different,” the Swedish Alinister said. “At that time it could have been called ‘non-belligerent.’ We gave Finland all assistance that oue country can give another without participating in the light.” Needs Trade With West In dealing with Sweden's trade policy, he said that the position was characterised chiefly by tho fact that trade relations with the West had practically ceased to exist. “It is true that Sweden’s trade in the Baltic area has expanded, but this development, how* ever welconye to our industrial life, cannot compensate for our isolation westwards. The restoration of our commercial relations across tho seas still remains an essential condition for en- ; abling Sweden to take her part, up to the limits of her capacity, as a member state in a new and vigorous Europe. “As regards the future,” Air. Gunther said, “we may resolve with confidence, yet without allowing our watchfulness to relax on that account, to observe the same attitudo of neutrality as hitherto towards tho struggle going on between the Great Powers. However, both along that road and collateral with the problems it involves, there are complications of various kinds that threaten us. It is obvious that, before the world situation has had time to stabilise itself, much has still to happen, not least up hero in the north. The position in which Sweden’s nearest neighbours now find themselves —different as it is for each one of them—involves serious problems for the future, which may prove to be of immediate and intimate concern to us. “A primary condition for a continuance of an entirely Swedish foreign policy is that we Swedes reinforce our power of defence aud keep it at, high tension, so far as our resources permit,” Air. Gunther continued. ‘ 1 Sweden is not now exposed to im- j 1 mediate danger of being attacked from | any quarter. However, the experiences * of the months of war already past show ■ us all too clearly that there is no coun- ■ try that can regard itself as being out- ’ side the danger zone, and it goes wjth- ) out saying that our country does pot do " so. Nothing has been demonstrated t more clearly in the course of this war 1 than that the most dangerous thing for 1 a small country which happens to exist ' in the vicinity of rival Great Powers '.is to constitute a military vacuum, or l 'something not far removed from it. 1 Thanks to Sweden’s position and our * possibilities for defence, it is up to us * to decide whether we arc to be regarded as a no-man ’s-land which, like a mag-