The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-09-14
SWEDEN AGAIN
| ISINVOLVED
Her Mexican Legation Con-
veyed Important News
to Berlin
STATE DEPARTMENT
MAKES REVELATION
Notorious Won Eckhart's
Letter to Chancellor
Is Made Public

next development in the unusual inter
national situation created by the stat
departments revelation that the Swed
ish legation in Mexico, as well as in Ar
, gentina, was utilized by the German gov
ernment as the secret means of convey
ing valuable communication to the Ber
lin foreign office.
= An added chapter to the story of tn
recently revealed intrigue in the Argen
tina disclosure gives hint of the natur
of the evidence in the governments pos
session of Germany's illegitimate use o
neutral diplomats. The full extent o
this evidence may never be published
but it is known TO be complete, and thii
governments action in making some o.
it public is not felt to be directed 81
much at Sweden as toward informing
the world at large of Germany's prac
tices.
Won Eckhardt's letter to the German
chancellor recounted the extent TO which
ICharge Cronholm of the Swedish legation
used diplomatic privileges for Germany
and his recommendation of an imperial
decoration for him (Cronholm) is regard.
ed by the allied diplomats here as fur
ther evidence of their charge that Ger
many has distributed decorations among
the diplomats of friendly neutrals for
such service probably in other instances.
Washington, d. c., Sept. l4.-~Another
chapter to the story of German intrigue
in neutral countries and among neutral
| diplomats was revealed last night by
Secretary Lansing in the form of a let
ter to the imperial chancellor from the
notorious Won Eckhardt, the German
minister at Mexico City, to whom the
intercepted Zimmerman note was ad-
dressed. 1t discloses that Folke Cron-
holm, then Swedish charge in Mexico
City, was depended on by the German
diplomat to furnish information from
the hostile camp" and to transmit com
munication to Berlin and that Won Eek
hardt wanted him rewarded by a secret
award from the German emperor to the
order of the crown of the second class"
This letter was written on March s,
1916, and apparently has been in the
possession of the American government
for long time 1t was made public
without comment, shedding light upon
the methods of another Swedish dplo-
matte representative in this hemisphere
at a time when the United States and
her allies are awaiting with interest
Sweden's explanation to Argentina of the
conduct of her minister at Buenos Aires
who transmitted the German sink with
out leaving trace" dispatches.
Baron Akerhelm, Swedish charge here,
said last night in response to a query
that Cronholm was dismissed from the
service last January. He
would not discuss the cause, but there
was no intimation that it was in any
way connected with CronhoIm's relations
with the Germans.
Baron Akerhielm called at the state
department during the day to inform
Secretary Lansing that he had received
from his government the statement al
ready given to the public at Stockholm.
explaining that Sweden had forwarded
dispatches from the German minister at
Buenos Aires to Berlin in German code /
without knowledge of their contents He
lid not leave a copy of the statement.
It is assumed that the Stockholm foreign
office will not address any communca-
ion to the American government on the
subject.
The departments translation of the
Von Eckhardt letter follows;
"Imporial legation, Mexico, TO his ex-
'ellency, the imperial chancellor:
Herr Folke Cronholm, the Swedish
harge d'affaires here, since his arrival
lere has not disguised his sympathy /
or Germany, and has entered into close
citations with this legation. He is the !
'nly diplomat through whom information |
rom hostile camp can be obtained. {
Moreover, he acts as intermediary for {
'fficial diplomatic intercourse between I
his legation and your excellency. In
he course of this, he is obliged to go I
ersonally each time to the telegraph
ffice not seldom quite late at night, in '
rider to hand in the kilograms. lI
Herr Cronholm was formerly at Pc
ing and at Toxic, and was responsible {
or the preliminary arrangements which v
ad TO be made for the representation t
{ his country in each case. Before he r
anne out here he had been in charge of a
he consulate-generala at Hamburg Herr il
ronholm has not got a Swedish. but Q
My a Chinese order at present. ] ven I
lre to submit to your excellency the
DISABILITY of laying before His Ma
,sty, the emperor, the name of Herr
ronholm, with view to the crown or y
er of the second-class being bestowed
n him.
1T would perhaps be desirable in order
OF to excite the enemy's suspicion, TO "
eat with secrecy the matter Of the IS o
lie of the patents until the end of the h
ar. should the decision be favorable TO h
v suggestion. This would mean that c,
le matter would be communicated TO a
, one but the recipient and his govern ri
ent, and even to them only under the 81
al OF secrecy. While the publication N
the bestowsl Of the decoration would ol
postponed until the end Of the war b
Il should be particularly grateful TO d
our Excellency if ! could be furnished G
ith telegraphic news of the bestowal Of
e decoration which ! strongly recon- y,
end in view Of the circumstance de- n,
lied above NOn Eckhardt b
Officials here are watching with in he
rest the situation in Argentina. where "a
ports indicate that the Indignation - IN
IN the people and the government have
en- aroused 90 such pitch that the B,
verumeEt NAV have difficulty in keep af
Z itself from being forced into breaking O.
ations with Germany. regardless of &c