Evening star., 1917-09-11
SWEDEN TO AVERT
ANY REPETITION OF
ARGENTINE AFFAIR
Foreign Office States willing
ness to Respect Wishes OF
'Interested Parties"
TO ASK EXPLANATION OF
KAISER IF FACTS PROVED
Statement Cites Courtesies Extended
Other Nations Than Germany.
Unconscious of Wrongdoing.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
LONDON September 1.-THE Swedish
foreign Office, according to dispatch
from Copenhagen to the Exchange Tele-
graph Company, has issued the follow
ing statement regarding the Swedish
Argentinian revelations:
THE Swedish foreign Office has not
received any account regarding the
transmission of the kilograms men
toned in the statements of tho gov
ernment of the United States. and the
Swedish government therefore is I'M
able at present to determine what its
position should be on the questions
opened up by these Statements.
TT is. however. accurate to say that
just after the world war broke out the
Swedish foreign minister expressed the
opinion that he ought to transmit a
German telegram concerning the civil
population of Kiao-Chow (the former
German fortress in the Chinese penin-
suia of Shantung).
Statements to the same effect Were
made to the representatives of both
belligerent groups without there being
any question of Sweden taking over
representation of any powers inter-
ests.
Transmitted United States Letters.
LAS regards the United States in
particular, the United States minister
here has this year in certain special
cases demanded and obtained permis-
sion to transmit letters to and from
Turkey and at a time when Turkey was
not in state of war with America
and when Sweden had not yet taken
over the protection of American in
rterestS-
In the summer of 1915 the wish was
expressed from the British side that
the Transmission of kilograms between
Germany and North America should
cease. No formal demand was made.
but notwithstanding this the foreign
minister acceded to the wish. The
Swedish minister. who was cognizant
Of all the negotiations. was of the
opinion that this was no bar to the
continued transmission of kilograms
to neutral states other than the United
States and therefore to Argentina.
Since then Sweden has continued to
be. the intermediary for communica-
tions between Germany and the Ar
gentine.
To Ask for Explanation.
THE telegram mentioned in the
American statement was written in
code and in transmitting it the Swedish
minister was by that reason unable to de-
cipher it. Whether it's contents were as
represented is a point which the first
duty of the Swedish government must
be to confirm, and its next action must
be to get an explanation from Germany
If II be found that any misuse has taken
place. Sweden will also. without regard
to any reference made to her. take
measures to prevent any repetition OF
the incident
NO application as to the cessation of
the transmission of kilograms from
Germany to the Argentine Republic has
vet been made either by the British or
American governments, even now or at
an earlier period.
The whole affair has only become
known to the public through the press,
but in spite of this the wishes officially
and semi officially expressed by the in
terested parties would Immediately have
been acceded to-"
Swedish Editors at Variance,
STOCKHOLM. September 11.-Swed-
on the Washington revelations regard
ing the use of the Swedish legation at
Buenos Aires by the German charge
there in sending dispatches to Berlin.
The Social Demokraten says:
1T is needless to draw special atten-
tion to the seriousness of the case, as,
if the accusations are true. the Swedish
minister. Count Lowen, is hopelessly
compromised and the country's honor
stained. The Eatter is SO much worse
because obviously there were willing
helpers at Stockholm
The conservative Dagblad sarcast.-
cally advises Argentina, if the charges
are true, to follow the ma ajority OF the
South American states in courageous
alliance with the entente. and adds:
The publication of the kilograms
which some American agent must have
stolen-the cipher being given to the
American press before being handed to
the Swedish legation at Washington-is
method inconsistent with traditional
diplomatic courtesy. The words about
exposing connections which exist be-
tween Germany and Sweden are con-
sidered a gross and willfuI insult to
the swedish government. only slightly
mi,igated by the phrase. at least in
what concerns the respective legations
in Argentine"
Dutch Condemn Practice.
AMSTERDAM September 1.-THE
Dutch newspapers give prominence to
the exposures regarding the action of
the Swedish legation in Buenos Aires
The HanGelsblad says the Swedish gov
ernment has committed an act forbid
den by international law and must
await the consequences.
The revelations harmoniZe with all
that has hitherto been known regard
ing the methods OF German representa-
tives abroad" says the Nieuws Van
Den Dag. though 1t is extraordinarily
cynical and impudent for a representa-
tive to advise that ships of a country
with which he maintains friendly rela-
tions should be sunk without trace be-
ing left OF them. which means in such a
manner that all on board should per-
fish,"
The Telegraaf says: The first oues-
tion that arises is will il mean war
with Sweden" and expresses the belief
that had Germany been subjected to
such provocation she would not hesi-
tate to declare war against Sweden
The newspaper adds that the entente
shows no inclination to hold the Swed-
fsh people as a whole responsible and
will be satisfied with the punishment
OF the guilty individuals. The Swedish
people. 1t says. have adequate means
for making their resentment felt by
throwing out the present government.
The Telegraaf concludes by saying that
the disclosures indicate that there
could hardly be a more unsuitable
place for peace conference than
Stockholm.
German Paper Gives Advice.
LONDON. September 1.-THE only
German paper known 50 far to COM
(Coutinued on Fourth Page.)