The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-09-10

but it was plain they deplored any atte1 diplomatic break between the United
 Officials and diplomats entertained the possibility that the Swedish ambassador may have transmitted Luxburgs dis patches without knowing their exact con- tents, taking the German charges word that they were no breach of Sweden's obligation to Argentina. They also en- certain the possibility that Luxburg, with diplomacy of which the world has learned more since German secrets be- gan to leak out, may have told Lowen one thing and written another in his dispatches.
 Whatever becomes the accepted ex- planation, officials and diplomats here are unanimous In their belief that Swe- den must disavow any participation or responsibility and take appropriate steps to show her good faith
 INTERNAL SITUATION This may be difficult because of the internal situation in Sweden, where the upper circles are admittedly pro-German; because of the fact that Sweden mili- tarily a weak nation, lies at the mercy of Germany at her borders, and alss because Sweden may wish to adopt one course while Germany may wish her to take another.
 | It is thoroughly understood that in l Stockholm the pro-German classes are i the court. tlse profs o's x ha sser- stiles. the bankers, tho officers of the army and the journalists. The most in- tense Germanophile is the Queen, who 1 is cousin of the Kaiser, while the King has little to say, but in spite of contrary opinion, at heart favors the English. The government is. in the main neutral but the lavish bestowal of re- ward in the shape of orders and decora- tions has won over certain officials to the German side.
 l The existence of an active German propaganda in Sweden and Norway dates back before the beginning of the war when the fear of Russia was used with the Swedes to such an extent that the great mass of the people were pro- l German
 i No such development is even thought I of at this juncture. At the present stage d Sweden and Germany, with the United States, her allies and the rest of the world interested onookers, eager to know how the most remarkable train of events will be explained or dealt with by the three governments.
 ACTION DISCOUNTED Germany's probable action Is more or , less discounted. Anxious to retain the friendship of the few nations which have not gone to war with her, it Is expected that amends will be offered to Argentina for the German charges references to the foreign minister as notorious ass' and his recommendations that Argentina ships be destroyed without leaving any trace This might take the form of Luxburg's recall and repudiation of his action.
 How Argentina will receive the in- suit, coming close on her diplomatic victory with Germany, and apply it to her determination not to join the United States in war, or even to sever diplo- matic relations Is the subject of good deal of conjecture
 Undoubtedly public opinion in Argen- tina will go far toward determining that point and there has not been time for 1t to crystallze.
 To Sweden, however, the United States and it's allies, as well. looks for action which will purge the Swedish gov ernment and the Stockholm foreign off, flee of the stigma of knowingly having been Germany's tool in her newest in- trigue. American officials would like to believe that Sweden officially discounte- nances any such encroachments on her neutrality; that the guilt was personal to some particular officials. or possibly that Count Lowen, Sweden's minister in Argentina, was imposed upon by Lux burg and supposed that at the worst he was lending the inviolability of his le- gation's diplomatic privileges to an att tempt to preserve peace rather than to recommendations that Argentina's ships and seamen be destroyed without leav- ing any traces"
 LONDON COMMENT
 London. September 0s--The washing-