AN INTRIGUE BARED.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 September 1917, Page 3

AN INTRIGUE BARED.

BREAKING neutrality

SWEDISH MINISTER’S ACTION. ' WELLINGTON, This Day. The High Commissioner reports l.«ndou 11.20 p.m. on September 9th. Official— Tho Swedish Minister in Argentine has been convicted of duplicity in sending and receiving German codemessages relating to submarines.

SWEDISH DUrUCITY.

MINISTER’S ACTION IN ARGENTINE.

(Router 1 * TelegramaJ

ißeceived this day at 12.30 a.m.) WASHINGTON, September 8. Copies of official despatches were sont to the Berlin Foreign office by Count Luxburg tho German Charge d’Affaires atf Buenos Ayres, in cypher through tile Swedish Legation there as its own communications have been made public by Mr. Lansing, without comment as to how they fell into the United States Government’s hands. Copies were also delivered to the Argentine Embassy and Swedish Legation hero. Besides revealing tho means how Germany used Sweden and her machinations *in Argentine, the despatches show how the German Charge d’Affaires, at tho time that Argentine was having a critical diplomatic controversy with Germany over submarining her ships, was sending through tho Swedish. Legation, informing Germany of the sailings of certain vessels, with recommendations that they be sunk, without leaving a trace, and other despatches informing his Government how to regard Argentine’s protest nt the destruction of her shipping. Rumours, following the publication of the documents, that diplomatic relations with Sweden might be severed, caused a sensation.

CAUSES A SENSATION

HOW THE NEWS WENT THROUGH.

[ “nSUTER l ’s” TELEGRAM.]

(Received this day at 12.30 a.m.) WASHINGTON, September 8. The text of Count Luxberg’s messages are published. On 19th. May last he cabled from Buenos Ayres:— This Government has released the German and Austrians hitherto guarded. There is a great change of public feeling and asking that the steamer Oran Guzo, then nearing Bordeaux may bo spared if possible ,or sunk without trace. Cabling on 3rd July ho said — “'Have learned that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who was a notorious ass, and the Anglophile, Ims declared at a secret session of tho Senate, that Argentine would demand from Berlin a promise to sink no more Argentine ships. If the demand was not acceded to, relations would he broken off.” He recommended a refusal, or if neoessary mediation by Spain. Cabling on 9th. July ho advises postponing a reply to Argentine until further reports as to tho change of Ministry that was probable. As regards Argentine steamers, he recommended either compelling them turn back, <> sinking them traceless, or letting them through.

SWEDISH MINISTER SHOCKED,

AT THE DISCLOSURES

Reuter’s Telegrams

WASHINGTON, Sep. 9

Tho Swodish Minister here was thunderstruck at the msolosures. He declares it improbable that the Swedish Minister at Buenos Ayres knew tho contents of the dispatches, otherwiso ho would not have allowed them to go forward.

'Swedish commissioners visiting the United States to arrange food shipments are shocked at tho disclosures, and have telegraphed to the Foreign Office an explanation that the Swedish Legation officials believe the Buenos Ayres Legation was duped, because the Ambassador there is an invalid and unable to attend to business personally.

OPPORTUNITY TO' EXPLAIN

SWEDEN’S ATTITUDE. NEW YORK, Sep- &

The Washington correspondent says Sweden will bo given an opportunity to explain the transmission of German despatches from Buenos Ayres, before the United States takes action. If unable to satisfactory explain, United States will probably break off relations The dismissal of Luxburg by the Argentine Government is believed to be inevitable. Argentine will probably break relations with Germany. The re-call of the Swedish representative at Buenos Ayres is predicted. Another course to satisfy United States and the Allies is believed to bo that Sweden he now compelled to state whether she is remaining neutral or will i>id© with Germany.

The authorities regard the willingness of the Swedish representatives at Buenos Ayres to transmit to Germany information onabling Teutons to learn of the Bailings, and sink ships as the most important feature of thoir disclosures, as it plages the Swedish Legation at Buenos Ayres in the position of sanctioning U boat ruthlessness.

SENSATION IN BRITAIN

A BROKEN PROMISE 1 .

GERMAN TRICKERY

(Reuter’s Telegrams.) (Received This Day at 9.30. a'.mO LODON September 9.

, Mr Launeing’e revelations caused a sensation in Britain. Tt appears the Foreign .Gffico at Stockholm has been acting aa telegraph office for the Ger- j man Government regularly transmitt- ; ing German cypher cables as Swedish ; messages for the past three years. 1 Thus the German Ministers of , various foreign countries have had a free telegraphic communications with Berlin by handing messages to the Minister who signed and despatched them t» Stockholm, whence they were sent to Berlin. The British Government learned of the system in Spring of 1915, and told the Swedish Government unless she ceased it would bo necessary to put restriction on Sweditfi cypher telegrams, using British ooptfolled cobles.

The. Swedish Minister is. London premised that the* practice should cease, A similar assurance was given by the ( Stockholm Foreign Minister in August i 1915. He admitted there might at one Lime have been ground for complaint but nothing of the kind hnd happened for some mouths,and would not occur again. : One of the Luxburg deciphered ■messages indicated the assurance was given by the Argcntino Government that Argentine ships would only clear ; to Las Palmas, This shows that the protended immunity of Argentine ships accorded with a show of mft'gnnmity by Germany is a pure farce, because the immunity was secured by 'Argentine undertaking that no Argentine ships should bo found in tho war zone.

FEELING IN ARGENTINE

r-‘rotter’s” tei.egkam.] BUENOS AYRES, Sep. 9. The Luxburg revelations have caused great excitement. Strong precautions have been taken against an anti-Ger-man demonstration.