The Hokitika Guardian WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 12th., 1917. SWEDEN’S PERFIDY.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 September 1917, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 12th., 1917. SWEDEN’S PERFIDY.

Tim revelations in regard to Sweden's leaning towards our arch enemy need not occasion surprise in the light of past experience. What is surprising is the attitude of Britain all through the months, knowing that Sweden was playing false and was in fact siding with the enemy. In July of last year the Swedish Government issued certain royal. decrees the effect of which was to add Germany and hamper the British submarines, though these latter had operated always withscrupulous regard of the law of nations and for tlio dictates of humanity . In the. Sound the centre of which had been mined by the Germans, the Swedish Government closed to all Swedish vessels the passage through Swedish waters, which could not he mined by the enemy without an open broach of Swedish neutrality. The effect of this was to prevent British merchantmen from reaching the Baltic. British nation, however enjoyed by a treaty of 1826 the ■ right of the most-favoured-nation treatment for its shipping, and there was a treaty of 1862 between Sweden and Italy which gave Italian vessels the same rights of coast-wise traffic -as Swedish vessels. Tho British merchant-marine has therefore a clear right to use tho passage though Swedish waters, the ' only route by which ft could. reach tho; Baltic without being attacked by the , German Fleet. A second decreo in structed tho Swedish navy to destroy all submarines which were not commercial submarines in Swedish waters without warning. Germany alone employed commercial submarines, so that the real meaning of the decree was that British submarines would be sunk at .sight, while German submarines were merolv warned to leave neutral waters which which they invaded constantly. A third complaint was that while the Swedish route through the Sound was closed to nog-Swedish vessels, German

traffic going north in th© Baltic vras seoured from attack by opening to it the route along the Swedish coast in Swedish waters from Kalmti to Lulea, hy protecting enemy vessels with a Swedish naval escort. The Swedish reply to the Allied complaints on these heads was a blunt reassertion of Sweden’s desire to maintain her neutrality, and no attempt was made to answer tho Allied indictment. It was at this inconclusive stage where tho matter rested when the record from which we have quoted closed in September last. Apart from this serious situation we have now the deliberate aid given to Germany by tho Swedish ambassador in the Argentine. The latest news is to the effect that the Allies are going to take the matter■> very complacently. There is not to be an open rupture with Sweden, out of consideration it is explaining for Russia, hut there is the hint of pressure in regard to the blockade. Inter alia, the Swedish people are invited to deal with their loaders, but this invitation >s not like-ly-to result in any exemplary punishment. The exposure of Sweden is probably only one case of neutral perfidy. It would not be surprising if other European nations alleged to bo neutral are equally culpable, and playing .double part. Yet we wonder how the Central Powers hang out so well! Until the Allies are determined to grapple determinedly with eases such as the present we may expect the satisfactoiy conclusion of the war to be still remote.