SWEDES BREAK WORD.

Taihape Daily Times, 28 November 1917, Page 3

SWEDES BREAK WORD.

PROMISE TO BRITAIN NOT KEPT. Soon after the outbreak of war Germany was cut off from direct telegraphic communication with foreign countries other than European, but apparently the Foreign Office in Stockholm quite early undertook to act as telegraph office for the German Government, and has for the past three years regularly or continuously transmitted cables in German cypher under the pretence that they were Swedish Government messages. Telegrams in cypher, with the signature of. the Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs addressed to Swedish Legations in various foreign countries overseas have been sent by the Swedish Legation to the German Legation in the country to which the messages are addressed. As a matter of fact the messages were in reality in German code. Adopting the same methods, German Ministers in various foreign countries overseas have been able to maintain free telegraphic communication with Berlin by

ENTRUSTING THEIR CYPHER Message to the Swedish Minister. The latter has signed and transmitted them as Swedish Government messages direct to the Foreign Office at Stockholm, whence they have been sent to Berlin. So far as the American Continent is concerned it would appear that the system has been that most of the telegrams have been directed to the Swedish Legation at Buenos Ayres. The German Legation there recyphers them and sends them to German Ministers in other countries. Early in 1915 the British Government became aware of the employment of these Swedish telegraphic facilities on German behalf, and the matter was brought to the notice of the Swedish Government, it being pointed out that unless a definite assurance was given that the practice had it would be necessary to place restrictions on Swedish cypher telegrams, so far as the use of British cables was concerned. The Swedish Minister was spoken to on the matter on May 11, 1915, after some delay ; and he had been reminded of the importance of the question, on behalf of his Government

HE GAVE A FORMAL ASSURANCE

that no cypher messages of the kind would in future be allowed to pass through Swedish official channels. From Stockholm similar assurances were forthcoming and on July 2, 1915, it was reported by our Minister there that the Swedish Government had promised not to send or receive telegrams on German account. Again on Aug. 10, the British Minister at Stockholm placed the position before the Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs, who, whilst admitting that there

might at one time have been ground for complaint added that "nothing of the kind has happened for some months, and it will not occur again." From the fact that the discovery and decyphering of the present series of telegrams is due to the watchfulness and skill of the American Intelligence Service, the German Government may have cause to reflect that one of the first acts of their new enemy, whose activities and value in the prosecution of the war they have affected to has been to expose a procedure which affords a damning evidence against themselves and against a neutral Government whom it is charitable to regard as their dupes. Neutral Governments will realise on reading the deciphered telegrams the amount of faith they may put in German promises and German concessions. It is the "scrap of paper" all over again. While actually enjoying the hospitality of the Argentine Re- ' public, the accredited representative of the German Empire at Buenos Ayres is seen advocating the deliberate murder of Argentine subjects on the high seas, so that the sinking' of Argentine ships by German submarines should leave no trace which would make their crime known Jh the Argentine, and to make enemy of that country. The policy is consistent and deliberately carried into effect in an attempt to hide from neutral countries the result of "unrestricted submarine warfare." Other nations than the Argentine such as Norway in particular, know it to their cost. Neutral countries which contemplate negotiating with Germany have only to place side by side the German Government's promise "to respect the xVrgentine flag" and the recommendations of the German Ambassador at Buenos Ayres, that her ships, being small "should be sunk without a trace being left."