NEUTRALS’ VIEWS

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 187, 4 May 1940, Page 11

NEUTRALS’ VIEWS

Gloomy Forebodings In Sweden DELIGHT IN BERLIN By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. LONDON, May 2. The reactions to Mr. Chamberlain’s statement announcing the withdrawal of the British troops south of Trondheim range from ecstatic delight at the Wilhelmstrasse to gloomy forebodings in Sweden, where perhaps the most emphatic impression is to be observed. The Stockholm correspondent of “The Times” describes the statement as being a thunderbolt, to the Swedish public, and adds that Swedish political circles consider British prestige in the northern countries could hardly have received a more damaging blow thau that resulting from Mr. Chamberlain’s

description of how’ the Allies conceived and carried out their assistance to Norway. Political sceptics consider that the decision to withdraw from the region south of Trondheim virtually before operations had started has proved that the Allied attitude is halfhearted, and also that it does not leave the remaining Norwegian troops in southern Norway any choice but to surrender. The Swedish view about their own position is that Russia’s apparent concern for maintaining the balance in the Baltic continues to be an essential factor favouring Sweden’s chances of remaining outside the war. *

(Received May 3, 10 p.m.)

LONDON, May 3.

A Swedish Foreign Office spokesman predicted that the withdrawal would have a terrific psychological effect on Swedish opinion.

A message from Zurich (Switzerland) says that Mr. Chamberlain's speech has again strengthened the mistrust of the British capacity for decisive military and diplomatic action. This mistrust lias-diminished after the recent British naval successes. “You British are always too slow.” is the typical comment. in New York the “Times” and ‘Herald-Tribune” show a very real appreciation of the difficulties of the Allies. The “New York Tinies” says that the withdrawal is a. blow to Allied prestige and a serious setback to Allied strategy, but it points out that the Allied forces were confronted with an almost impossible obstacle, and the decision to rush forces to Norway at all was to their lasting credit. The “Tribune” says: “A good deal remains to the Allies. They have succeeded in holding the Germans, who have gained only a partial victory. The Germans’ hold over the countries' will be an uneasy one, and they still have to expend energy that may be more useful to them elsewhere.” Authorized Berlin commentators declared : “Mr. Chamberlain has not: told the full story. We only laugh when be declares (bat the British withdrew without loss.” One spokesman asserted, "We expect that the Allies will complete their abandonment of Norway eoon.”