Show SWEDEN SVEDEN COULD BE BEl BElf f DRAGGED INTO WAR I ISo So Socialist Leader Sees Da Dangers Dan Dan- gers g rs in English English- Swedish English I Trade Negotiations I P PARTY FOR PEACE I Dishonest Traders of All All' I Nati Nations ns Are Aiding J Powers Involved STOCKHOLM Oct 9 There There is ou y one ne combination of circumstances circum stances which is likely to draw Sweden Sweden Swe Swe- den into the war in inthe the opinion oC or HJalmar Branting leader of ot the So So- party of or Sweden and generally general general- ly 1 admitted to be the most likely candidate for premier at the next el election Uon If It the Swedish English-Swedish trade negotiations ne ne- ne fall through said Mr Branting to the Associated Press correspondent and at the same time trouble should arise in Finland the situation produced by these two misfortunes would be an alarming one It would then be impossible to restrain the pro pro German German element of this tilLs country from rushing Into war This This element is numerically small but it n is powerful beyond its num num- b hers bers rs We We must nt not t Ignore the possibility pos of such a catastrophe and I cannot help viewing the situation with grave apprehension have hope bope that the difficulty difficulty difficulty culty with England will be satisfactorily satisfactorily settled and the possibility that the interests in Finland Finland Finland Fin Fin- land will stir sUr up trouble there is I think a a. remote one I do not therefore therefore therefore there there- fore consider this prospect of war particularly threatening at the present present pres pres- ent time but it is distinctly within the range of possibilities You know of or course that my party in Sweden stands almost unanimously unan unan- for peace A A. few days ago three of our members were accused of or authorship in the war book and voted out of the party but th these e were almost isolated examples They do donot donot donot not in any sense represent the spirit of the party I 1 cannot help feeling that our mis- mis Ind with England might ha been settled d some time ago If It it Jl had rad not been for the fact that the Swedish members of the commission have be been n a a. little too theoretical in their views The English members have presented a practical issue and andy ve we e have ha-e answered by reference to our traditional rights as an independent hide inde pendent nation bation Right to Trade We have argued that Sweden has hasa a 1 right to carry carryon on an uninterrupted trade with another neutral country like America Of ot course in theor theory Sweden has such a right but some of or us are forgetting that this is not an ordinary situation which can be settled by considerations which would hold in times of peace England England Eng Eng- land is plainly interfering with our sovereign rights but so is Germany Rod and if it we are to take action against every nation that has in this war committed offenses against Sweden we might fight the whole world We have protested against England's interference in in- with our Imports and that in III as far as we should go I am sure that th the Swedish point of or view in the wh whole le matter has been too narrow a one The Swedish government has hag played absolutely square on the question question question ques ques- tion of the transit of supplies to the allies and Germany She has held firmly to the strictly neutral position posh posh- tion of treating both sides alike without favoritism But trouble has hascom comes come through the illicit commerce which has gone on between this country and Germany trade Germany trade forbidden forbidden forbid forbid- den dew denby by the government and which the tile government has done all an in its power to prevent But by means of falsified certificates and the other subterfuges commonly used Swedish traders have done a tremendous secre se- se ere cre business with Germany Copper Coper to Germany 1 z dont don't mean to say that our Swedish traders are either more or orless orless orless less honest than those of other nations na na- na but there are enough dishonest dishonest dishon dishon- est eat traders everywhere who will yield to the temptation of great profits held out to them Most people people people peo peo- do not realize bow how great this Il Illegal Il ii- legal business has been I do not refer to open smuggling but to the misuse of or guarantees etc Every conceivable substance has crept Into Germany In this way way most most of all perhaps copper In the ordinary way I do not think Sweden has been of or material assistance to Germany during this war but in this secret way ar Germany has received a great deal Concerning the war talk which one hears so much nowadays the war element in Sweden does not represent represent sent the nation Not Kot even the conservative conservative conservative con con- party Itself wants war I have hare recently spoken with the premier premier premier pre pre- mier and the foreign minister and they are both inclined to discountenance discountenance nance the work of the extreme ac activists activists ac- ac who have bave been spreading war propaganda The Swedish nation Is I still Inflamed against Russia for the espionage and diplomatic scandals which sh she has been guilty of In this country but It Is only a small element ele ele- ele ment that believes that we ought now to strike against Russia taking taking tak tak- ing advantages of or Russia's misfortunes misfortunes tunes and forgetting that we would have to reckon with her later |