New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-16
Mystery in Vacation"
Taken by Count Wrangel
During Crisis
Departure Causes
London Sensation
Government Not Satisfied
by NeutraPs Action in
Argentine Affair

LONDON, Sept. 15.-Count A. Wrangel,
the Swedish Minister to Great Britain,
and the Countess Wrangel left London
to-day for the Continent on a few
weeks leave of absence. Count Wrangel
yesterday had long conference with
Lord Robert Cecil, the British Under
Secretary for Foreign Affairs, presum-
ably on the subject of the Swedish
Argentinian disclosures.
W. f. Bostrom, counsellor of the
Swedish Legation here, will take charge
during Count Wrangels absence.
The departure of Count Wrangel con
a holiday" at a moment when his gov
eminent was embarrassed by the Wash
ington disclosures, caused consider
able sensation in the capital. Some
of the evening newspapers made the
news of the Swedish Minister'S de-
parture the feature Of the day.
Count Wrangels departure, while not
in the nature of a dismissal, is gen.
orally taken as an indication that the
British government is dissatisfied with
the explanations thus far made and
the steps thus far taken by Sweden in
reply TO the British representation re-
garding the Luxburg affair.
Organized Practice Shown
This dissatisfaction was indicated in
The Associated Press interview OBJ
tanned yesterday with Lord Robert
Cecil, Parliamentary Under Secretary
of Foreign Affairs and Minister of
Blockade, who is acting in behalf Of
Foreign Secretary Balfour in the lat
ter's absence. A statement made TO The
Associated Press to-day through re-
liable source says:
THE additional revelations made in
the United States yesterday afford fur
Their proof that the practices brought
to light are something more than indi-
vidual action and are an organized
practice affecting very largely Swedish
diplomacy in ell neutral countries.
THE removal Of single subsidiary
official from the Swedish Foreign Office
cannot clear up the situation or remove
blame from the Swedish diplomatic SER
vice at large. The steps so far taken
by Sweden, both in respect Of their of
fetal explanation and in the removal of
Secretary Ewerloef, of the Swedish For
eign Office, show a failure 70 appreciate
the seriousness Of the situation Up TO
the present Sweden has only made
rather poor attempt TO excuse the past
and has given no promise for the fut
ure."
Count in Sympathy With Allies
Personally Count Wrangel is unOb-
jectionable to the British government,
and it is we'll known his sympathies are
entirely with the Entente Allied cause,
but official relations between him and
representatives of the British govern
ment could only be of the most strained
character until the present difficulties
between Great Britain and Sweden have
been cleared up by some more satisfac-
tory action from the Swedish govern
ment in the matter of the American
revelations.
At the Swedish Legation it was said
to-day that Count Wrangers departure
had nothing TO do with the Washington
revelations. The minister, with his
wife, who is French woman, il was
added, usually spends a few weeks in
France every year. They probably will
be away until the end Of October
Inquiries at the Foreign Office re-
garding the accuracy of the statements
issued by the Swedish Foreign Office. to
the effect that the undertaking given
by the Swedish government in 1915
that no further German messages
would be forwarded through Swedish
official channels, referred only to mes
sages between Sweden and North Amer
lea, ELECTED the information that the
assurances given TO Great Britain by
the Swedish Minister in London and
TO the British Minister at Stockholm
by the Swedish Minister of Foreign
Affairs were Of general application.
1t is considered obvious here that
objection to the use Of the British
cables for cipher messages from an
enemy government would be the same
from whatever country such messages
came. and a promise by the Swedish
government not to send them, if con-
fined to one country only. would be
valueless