THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES Friday, April 30, 1943. SWEDISH POLICY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25213, 30 April 1943, Page 2

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES Friday, April 30, 1943. SWEDISH POLICY

In view of the present strained relations between Sweden and Germany, an attempt by the Nazis to secure absolute control of Finland by invading that country—a course that has lately been spoken of as being in the mind of Hitler—would almost certainly have serious repercussions in Stockholm. The Swedish Government has never concealed its strong sympathy for the afflicted Scandinavian peoples, nor has it refrained, despite German threats, from publicly emphasising its determination by all means in its power to keep alive the characteristic Scandinavian way of life. In November of last year, when the Nazi propagandists were doing their best to bring the recalcitrant northern States into line with the requirements of the New Order, as they saw it, the Swedish Foreign Minister took occasion not only to reaffirm his Government’s decision to remain neutral, but also to state .that part of Sweden’s task was to be “the link in holding the northern peoples together.” Furthermore, he made a spirited rejoinder to an attack by the Reich Press Chief, Dr Dietrich, on the conduct of neutral press correspondents, when he pointed out that the general attitude of the Swedish press undoubtedly reflected “ the spontaneous reaction of the Swedish people to, German activities in Norway.” In these circumstances the German Government might be expected to detect a warning note in the forthright comment in the Swedish press on the latest incident arising out of German infringements of Swedish rights in territorial waters. Swedish patience with Nazi arrogance, it would seem, is rapidly running out, and it may require no more than' another illegal act on Germany’s part to bring about an open rupture. It will be instructive to see what results from the report that German troops, to the number of 6000 or 7000. are still being transported each week across Sweden to Norway, and that Swedish railways are also being used, presumably by the Nazis, for the reinforcement of the Finnish armies. The transit of German forces across Swedish territory was made the subject of a strongly-worded British protest to Stockholm as long ago as June, 1941, when Swedish neutrality in the Russo-German war was officially announced. The explanation given then by the Government at Stockholm was that, in response to a German request, supported by Finland and approved at a secret meeting of the Riksdag, permission had been given for the passage of one German division through Sweden from Norway to Finland. At that time the Swedish Prime Minister, Mr Hansson, while admitting that the decision had caused misgivings, since it was a deviation from Sweden’s traditional conception of neutrality, emphasised that it would be “ definitely restricted and nonrecurring.” The assumption must be, however, that the concession has continued—doubtless under Nazi pressure—for Mr Hansson referred to it again only three weeks ago. His Government, he said, regarded it as undesirable, but it was one of the burdens that Sweden had to carry as a result of war between the great Powers. The current upsurge of anti-Nazi feeling in Sweden may result in a public demand for withdrawal of the privileges extended to the Germans. At the least, there appear to be good grounds for recent speculation on the possibility of an early German move likely to involve both Finland and Sweden.