The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1917-10-17
BRITISH ACTION
Anglers SWEDEN
America Stays Out Of Con.
troversy Over Seizure Of
Diplomatic Pouches.

The detention OF the pouches Of
Swedish diplomatic matter by the
British Embassy here has raised q
question Of great delicacy between
Great Britain and Sweden. The
United States has kept clear Of the
issue and insists that II will keep
Clear of It.
Great Britain has In effect chai-
lensed the entire diplomatic privi-
leses Of Sweden. She has refrained
from stating this explicitly. but has
refused Sweden the use of her cables
for diplomatic messages in code and
detains the pouches in question at
the Embassy here despite the fact
that the seals are intact a. they left
Stockholm.
This action was taken immediately
following the exposure of the Lux
burg messages by Secretary Of State
Lansing.
The British Embassy here has Of
ferred to turn the pouches over i'm
mediately TO Minister Ekergen IL he
viii break the seals and open the
bags and boxes In the presence OF
representative of the British EN-
bassy. This Mr.. Ekengren, as q mat
ter Of principle only, he says. has
refused to do.
Awaits Instructions.
He has told the British Embassy
that IL they suspect the honesty of
these pouches they should. break
Sweden's diplomatic seals ana open
them themselves. Sir Cecil Spring.
Rice. the British Ambassador, has
been unwilling to 60 to these lengths
In questioning the honesty of Swe-
den's representative without direct
instructions from home. He has
cahled for instructions and 10 now
awaiting reply before taking fur
Their action.
Steps were taken yesterday to re-
lieve the delay caused by this situa-
ton in the negotiations on the en-
barge between Sweden and the United
States. The credentials Of DR.. HAL
mar Iundvohm. the Swedish delegate,
who came over with the pouches are
locked up In the matter detained. Mr..
Ekengren yesterday called at the State
Department and secured an agree
ment that the United States would ac-
cept telegraphic credentials In order
that DR.. Lundvohm may proceed with
his negotiations with Vance McCor-
mick and Herbert Hoover with regard
to the provisioning of his country.
British suspicion with regard to
these pouches is admittedly aroused
by the actions Of DR.. Lunvohm him.
self. Before he left Stockholm he told
the British minister there that he
wanted to open one bag and work ON
the data IT contained for Mr.. Hoover.
Upon arrival at Christiania no reply
from London had been received to
this suggestion. and DR.. Lundvohm
told the British minister to Norway
that he would withdraw the sugses-
ton and that he would not open the
pouches. He asked that this word be
cabled to Halifax 80 that the matter
would not have to be examined there.
United States stays Neutral.
He sailed from Bergen. Norway, on
September Z and i've days later, on
September Il. Secretary Lansing made
public the exposure Of how Germany
had used Swedish diplomatic channels
In South America.
When DIR. Lundvohm's ship arrived
at Halifax the British naval authori-
ties insisted on Selling his bags upon
instructions received from London
that one Of them had been opened
during the voyage.
The farthest the State Department
has gone in entering into the con-
troversy was to urge on Great Britain
the forwarding Of the bags from Hail.
fax as soon as possible. The Swedish
minister here has commended that II
the contents Of these bags are the
concern Of any one but Sweden they
are the concern Of the United States,
but the United States has refused to
accept this view as against that held
held by the British.