STAND BY SWEDEN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 August 1940, Page 5

STAND BY SWEDEN

PREPARED TO DEFEND NEUTRALITY

ARMED FORCES BUILT UP. MINISTER’S DECLARATION. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) STOCKHOLM, August 29. The Minister of Defence, Mr P. E. Skoeld. s«id: "The neutrality of Sweden is an armed neutrality, meaning that if someone puts a demand contrary to our neutrality and seeks to impose it or violates the independence of our country, we shall oppose them with force if necessary. "New divisions have been created this summer and further ones are contemplated. The army has also been strengthened by large quantities of arms and war materials. The production of warships, aeroplanes and other war materials is being speeded up and this has resulted in a good position as regards war preparedness. "The Government has commandeered war material ordered from Sweden by foreign countries. In addition it has bought four destroyers and motor tor-pedo-boats and a large quantity of torpedoes from Italy, modern fighter planes from the United States and reconnaissance planes and arms and munitions from Germany. Important fortifications have also been carried out.”