METHODS

Hokitika Guardian, 30 November 1931, Page 2

METHODS

COMMERCIAL ATTACKS. ? EXAMPLE OF SWEDEN TROUBLE IN TIMBER INDUSTRY i Under' -the .’headi..g . ‘ ‘Muscov'te ■'Machiavelism”,- ,a Paris riewsraper “L‘Ami du Peuple,” traces the insidious attempts of Soviet agents to 'undermine' the present social Sj stem in v various European countries. It pdiiits' out that , the Soviet during the years, it„ has, keen .working, has realised 1 , that the best course to pursue, is 'not to'bother with’the weaker count: tries, but to tackle the powerful ' countries ' whose social, and economic life is well balanced, realising that it 'is such countries that are most likely to counteract the effect of Bolshevism in the' world. The case of S’e-len in instanced. “L’Ami du Peuple” says that it was .by no means accidental that at the beginning of the commercial attack of B«fcke TSovietes-oiP-iSwede-ji dustry was yiclced out as a target. Sweden exports large quantities of timber, and in that trade she fas up to the'present led the world. Organised on a scientific 1 as's, the tim’ er industry is of prime importance nnd means a great deal to the prosperity of the country. To strike at Sweden’s teade Russia began dumping large quantities of timber, which .was - sold at a very low price owing to the fact that it was worked by forced labour, and the timber of Sweden, worked by free labour, could not Possiblv compete with it. The Swedish timber industry is feeling the effects /of these unfair methods, 1 rro’-e and more. • For instance, in the ”first three months of the present year the Value of the, export trade of Sweden iii timber ; dropped to less than 61,000 - 000 crowns, while for the same p*ribd in the previous year the exports were valued; at 113’000,C00 crowns. In the same . periods the exports of paper, wood pulp and other wood-pro-ducts dropped to less than 130,000,000 crowns from 171,000;000 crowns worth exported in the first three months o e 1931.

.! This dumping of' Russian timber in Sweden ha s had a disastrous effect op the Swedish- industry, and lias meant the reduction of wa~es, with consequent discontent among the workmen. Strikes occurred in several districts, and emissaries, from Mos/ow fomented, the .trouble, even to the extent of firing upon; the troops that were protecting the men who remained -at work. It was the first, time for ■ jhore than half a ‘century that bkrd 'had. .been shed, in that pea'eable country. However,' the natural good sens© of the Swedish people won the dhv, the Government' rooted out the emus'-rip? of Moscow, and in the course of investigations it was shown that large sums of -Soviet money had been, sent to Sweden to foment the trouble. '“L’Ami.du Peuple”- goes on to explain the methods by which Soviet agents “work” the , stock ex'lunges for the purpose of discrediting and dhpressin'T'stocks and rh'-r'-s of any countrv they wish 'to ruin—a system of "attack that is favoured by'the present jJelicate inter-national financial situation, stock exchanges being exceedingly ’sensitive* 'and nervous. The Paris newspaper gives n detailed account of the attempts made to “hear” tho ■ market for the stock of a group of Swedish companies with t’ e fam-I ous .engineer Kreuger at their head. Through the! Kreuger group the Soviet agents tried to strike at, the nation ■it'self* and for that purpose civcvbted all sorts of rumours about politic- : al crisps,. strikes, menaces from the professional classes, banking crises -and ?-> on. • While “L’Ami du Peuple” does not bel’eve that' the campaign can.!shake the well-balanced country of (Sweden, it ppirits out that thoSbyipt’s evir methods should be made . widely 'known.