The Swedish Route

Manawatu Times, Volume 68, Issue 56, 8 March 1943, Page 6

The Swedish Route

WILL NOT BE EASY TOR NAZIS. For continental Europe’s only free king 1943 is likely to prove a critical year. Tali, tennis-loving Gustav V has had little time for tennis during the past six months. His two greatest problems have been the suppression of potential Quislings in Sweden and keeping Sweden neutral. Gustav and liis Government make no bones about what would happen to the Quislings should Hitler violate Sweden to secure Finland and reinforce Norway against a second front. Said Defence Minister. Skoed last month: “We have the names of every person whose loyalty to Sweden is questionable. We know what to do with them if the occasion arises.” Among the 700 Axis sympathisers whose names figure prominently in Sweden’s Quisling-book arc: Explorer Sven Hedin, the Kaiser’s friend of'World War 1, Goering’s friend of World War II; Torsten Kreuger, owner of the pro-Nazi newspapers Aftonbladet and Stockholm Tidnigen, a brother of the notorious match-king Kreuger, whose suicide nearly a decade ago started a disastrous financial crash in Europe. Krcugers newspapers disseminate Nazi propaganda, which lias often been cabled throughout the world under a Stockholm date-line.

How Swedes themselves feel about flic war was disclosed in a recent "Gallup poll,” which showed S 5 per cent, of the people were pro-Ally, 35 per cent, listen to the 8.8. C., but only .5 per cent listen to and believe Berlin broadcasts.

The poll disclosed the most-hated foreigner was Quisling, the most popular was Churchill. The Axis Press fulminated against the poll, against other “breaches of neutrality,” among which it listed these charges: An average of 30 Norwegians a month are aided by Swedes to escape across the frontier. Swedes arc wearing lapel badges, picturing King Haakon of Norway and King Gustav together. There have been anti-Axis demonstrations in newsreel cinemas, despite Government slides on the screen requesting silence. Cigarettes, 9s for 20.

Gustav’s Sweden wants to see the Allies win, if only because of what happened to neighbouring Norway, but Gustav’s Sweden wants above all to keep out of war.

With fewer people than lias Australia, it knows it would bo overwhelmed should Germany invade. Its army is poorly trained, its artillery has ammunition for a fortnight, there are no bombers, only one squadron of fighters. Sweden sells iron ore and other goods to Germany because there is no other market, but has persistently refused to charter its 200,000 tons of shipping to the Axis. The majority of its ships still carry goods for the Allies. Sweden permitted the German 163rd division to cross its territory to Finland but there was such a storm of protest from the people that since German troops have been refused passage. There is no blackout, Stockholm is the most brilliant city in Europe, but Swedes are forced to "live like a people at war. Clothes have been rationed since 1941, there is no hot water for baths, cigarettes cost the equivalent of 9s for 20.