SWEDISH DUPLICITY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3313, 12 September 1917, Page 17

SWEDISH DUPLICITY.

BETRAYING ARGENTINE SHIPPING. (By Cable.) Copies of official despatches sent to the Berlin Foreign Office by Count Luxburg (German Charge d'Affairs at Buenos Aires) in cypher through the Swedish Legation there as its own communications have been made public by' Mr Lansing without any comment as to how they fell into the United States Government's hands. Copies have also been delivered at the Argentine Embassy and the Swedish Legation in Washington. Besides revealing means by which Germany used the Swedes, and her machinations in the Argentine, the despatches show how the German Charge d'Affairs at the time the Argentine was having a critical diplomatic controversy with Germany over the submarining of her ships was sending through the bwedish Legation information regarding the sailings of certain vessels with a recommendation that they should be sunk without leaving anj trace, and other despatches informing his Government how to regard the Argentine's protests against the destruction of her shipping. The text of Count Luxburg's messages has been published. On May 19 he cabled from Buenos Aires, stating that the Government had released German and Austrian ships which had hitherto been guarded, and that there had been a great change of public feeling. He asked that the steamers Oran and Guzo, which were then Hearing Bordeaux, might be spared if possible or sunk without leaving a trace.

Cabling on July 3, he said he had learned that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who was a notorious ass and an Anglophile, had declared at a secret session of the. Senate that the Argentine should demand from Berlin a promise to sink no more Argentine ships, and that if the demand was not acceded to relations would be broken off. He recommended a refusal, or, if necessary, mediation by Spain. Cabling on July 9 he advised postponing a reply to the Argentine until further reports, as a change of Ministry was probable. As regards Argentine steamers, he recommended either compelling them to turn back, sinking them without leaving a trace, or letting them through.-. The New York Times Washington correspondent says that Sweden will be given an opportunity to explain the transmission of German despatches from Buenos Aires before the United States takes action. If Sweden is unable satisfactorily to explain, the United States will probably break off relations.

The dismissal of Count Lnxburg from the country by the Argentine Government is believed to be inevitable. The Argentine will probably break off relations with Germany, and the recall of the Swedish representative at Buenos Aires is predicted. Another course to satisfy the United States and the Allies is believed to be that Sweden will now be compelled to state whether she is remaining neutral or whether she will side with Germany. The United States authorities regard the willingness of the Swedish representatives at Buenos Aires to transmit to Germany information enabling the Teutons to learn of the sailings and sinking of ships is the most important feature of the disclosures, as it places the Swedish Legation at Buenos Aires in the position of sanctioning U boat ruthlessness. The Swedish "Minister in Washington is thunder-struck at the disclosures. He declares that it is improbable that the Swedish Minister at Buenos Aires knew the contents of the despatches; otherwise he would not have allowed them to go forward. The Swedish Commissioners now visiting the United States to arrange for food shipments are shocked at the disclosures. They telegraphed to the Foreign Office at Stockholm for an explanation. The Swedish Legation officials in Washington believe that the Buenos Aires Legation was duped, because the Ambassador there is an invalid, and is unable to attend to the business of the Legation personally. / Secretary Lansing's revelations have caused a sensation in Britain. It appears that the Foreign Office at Stockholm has been acting as a telegraph office for the German Government, regularly transmitting German cipher cables as Swedish Government messages, for the past three years. Thus the German Ministers in various foreign countries had free telegraphic communication with Berlin merely by handing their messages to the Swedish "Minister, who signed and despatched them to Stockholm, whence they were sent to Berlin. The British Government learned of the existence of this system in the spring of 1915, and told the Swedish Government that unless it ceased it would be necessary to place restrictions on Swedish cipher telegrams using British-controlled cables. The Swedish Minister in London at once promised that the practice would cease, and similar assurances were given by Stockholm.

The Swedish Foreign Minister, in August, 1915, admitted that there might at one time have been ground for complaint, but nothing of the kind had happened for some months, and it would not occur again.

One of Count Luxburg's deciphered messages indicated that an assurance had been given by the Argentine Government that Argentine ships would clear only to Las P almas (Canary Islands). This shows that the pretended immunity to Argentine ships, accorded with some show of magnanimity by Germany, is a pure farce, because the immunity was secured by the Argentine undertaking that no Argentine ships would be found in the war zone. The Luxburg revelations have caused great excitement at Buenos Aires.

Strong precautions are being taken against anti-German demonstrations.

A despatch from Buenos Aires advises that the Swedish Legation has denied knowledge of tlio transmission of (Jerman messages. There is much indignation as a result of the disclosures, and the polica aro taking special measures to protect tile German and Swedish Legations.

A Stockholm banker ha.s offered four million kroner to establish an aeroplane route between Sweden and Germany, and aeroplane stations are being established at Stockholm, Malmoe, and Gothenburg. The Times Washington correspondent says that Argentina will probably declare war against Germany, and the relations between America and Sweden are strained almost to the breaking point. While taking a most serious view of the Swedish disclosures, the English newspapers think the Allies are not likely to take extreme steps, though they have every right to treat Sweden as an enemy. The papers urge that the strongest blockade measures be taken against Sweden. Newspapers express the opinion that the words " Spnrlos . versenkt." meaning " Sunk without trace left." will be remembered as long as von Bethmann-Holl-t weg's "scrap of paper." Count Lux? burg's policy explains the firing on boats* crews like those of the Belgian Prince and the tofal disappeai'ance of many neutral vessels. Sweden will doubtless deny complicity, but the dismissal of Swedish representatives abroad will not satisfy Washington, which has evidence that the envoys have been acting with the connivance of "and under orders from the Stockholm authorities. It would be an extreme punishment to throw the whole people into war because of the crimes of their rulers, but the Allies have a potent instrument in the blockade.