Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-10
GIVES ONE REASON
TO|NVOLVE SWEDEN
Leader of Socialist Party Does
Not Think Prospect of War
Threatening Now.
OUTLINES COMBINATION
WHICH MAY INFLUENCE
If Trade Negotiations Fall Through
and Trouble Arises in Finland
He Fears Worst.
Correspondence of the Associated Press.

Correspondence of the Associated Press.
STOCKHOLM. September 2o-There is
only one combination of circumstances
the war. In the opinion of Hjalmar
Branting. leader of the socialist party
Of Sweden and generally admitted to
be the most likely candidate for pre-
mier at the next election.
IF the English Swedish trade ne
gotiations fall through said Mr..
Branting to the Associated Press cor
respondent, land at the same time
trouble should arise in Finland, the
situation produced by these two mis-
fortunes would be an alarming one. 1t
would then be impossible to restrain
the pro-German element of this coun'
try from rushing into war. This ele-
ment is numerically small, but it is
powerful beyond its numbers. We
must not ignore the possibility of such
a catastrophe and l cannot help view
ing the situation with grave appre-
hension.
II still have hope that the difficulty
with England will be satisfactorily set
tied. and the possibility that the Ger
manophile interests in Finland will
stir up trouble there is, I think, a re-
mote one. 1 do not. therefore, con-
slider this prospect of war particularly
threatening at the present time, but it
Is distinctly within the range of pos
sibilities.
Party Stands for Peace.
You know, of course. that my party
in Sweden stands almost unanimously
Tor peace. A few days ago three of
Or members were accused of author
Ill p in the war book and voted out of
tie party. but these were almost iso
;ed examples. They do not in any
s,nse represent the spirit of the party.
/ cannot help feeling that our mis-
Understanding with England might
have been settled some time ago, if it
Lad not been for the fact that the
swedish members of the commission
lave been u little too theoretical in
their views. The English members have
p.esented practical issue and we have
answered by references to our tradi-
tional rights as an independent nation.
We have argued that Sweden has a
right to carry on AN uninterrupted
trade with another neutral country like
America. OF course, in theory, Sweden
has such a right. but some of us are
forgetting that this is not an ordinary
situation which can be settled by con-
siderations which would hold in times
OF peace. England is plainly interior
Ing with our sovereign rights but so
is Germany. and if we are to take ac-
ton against every nation that has in
this way committed offenses against
Sweden. we must fight the whole world.
We have protested against England's
Interference with our imports and that
is as far as we should go. / am sure
that the Swedish point of view in the
whole matter has been too narrow a
one.
Swedish Government Fair.
The Swedish government has played
absolutely square on the question of
the transit of supplies to the allies and
Germany. She has held firmly to the
strictly neutral position of treating
both sides alike without favortism. But
the trouble has come through the il
licit commerce which has gone on be-
tween this country and Germany-trade
forbidden By the government, and
which the government has done all in
its power TO prevent But by means of
falsified certificates and the other sub
terfuges commonly used Swedish
traders have done a tremendous secret
business with Germany.
Il don't mean to say that our Swed
ish traders are either more or less
honest than those of other nations. but
there are enough dishonest traders
everywhere who will yield to the
them. Most people do not realize how
great this illegal BUSINESS has been.
do not refer to open smuggling. but
to the misuse of guarantees, etc. Every
conceivable substance has crept into
Germany in this way-most of all, per-
haps. copper. In the ordinary way
do not think Sweden has been of ma
terial assistance to Germany during
this war. but in this secret way Germany
has received a great deal.
Concerning the war talk which one
hears SO much nowadays, the war ele-
ment in Sweden does not represent the
nation. Not even the conservative party
itself wants war. / have recently
spoken with the premier and the for
eign minister and they are both in
clined to discOuntenance the work Of
the extreme activists who have been
spreading war propaganda. The
Swedish nation is still infiamed against
Russia for the espionage and diplo-
matte scandals which she has been
guilty of in this country, but it is
only a small element that believes that
we ought now to strike against Rus
STA. taking advantage of Russia's mis-
fortunes and forgetting that we would
no. 70 har ln&.