The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1917-08-14
NEUTRALITY MAINTAINED
BECAUSE THEY CANNOT
AFFORD TO ENTER
German Supplies Are
Needed by Sweden
Denmark Helpless Under Claws
of Powerful Teuton Neighbor
and Norway Cannot Act All
Alone.
(By Karl Won Wiegand)
international News Service)

international news OerNlCeJ
NEW YORK, Aug. lift the AM
erican people expect that Sweden can
be forced to break with Germany and
enter the war with all its miseries,
either on the one side or on the other,
they do not know Sweden's situation
and will be disappointed" This is the
statement made to me in Stockholm
by high official the day l left for
America.
"It is quite impossible-yes quite
impossible" he said with emphasis.
'You do not understand the difficult
ties. Disagreed as they may be on
some points the Swedish people are
in absolute accord and unity to pre-
serve our unalterable oppositionn to
entering the war. Even opposition
or so called Pro-Ally party, which is
very strong in Sweden, does not want
to enter the war, and on that point
is in accord with the government.
Only one thing can bring Sweden into
this conflict and that is, if one or the
other side attacks or invades us. That
and that alone With our difficulties
and miseries already great, with the
horrors of war so close before our
eyes for three years, we would be
/ nOluluB SlOll VI AndQlAlCAl W piuhSS
into this conflict which could only in
crease, not diminish, our miseries and
sufferings and in which Sweden could
only lose and gain nothing"
If l were permitted to quote the
official by name, the Importance of
the statement would be seen. But he
insisted that he was talking privately
and not officially. l touched upon
Sweden breaking relations with Ger
many or closing her borders to the
central empires. mpossible-quite
impossible. We are too dependent
upon Germany for certain things, es-
pecially coal-things we must have to
live
The question, much talked about in
Europe, whether an absolute agree
ment exists between the three Scan
dinavian countries to jointly main
tain neutrality and not to act singly
the official declined to discuss. That
some such agreement, whether only
"gentleman's agreement" or some
thing more formal, does exist, | was
assured in well-informed circles, botf
in Copenhagen and in Stockholm.
Sweden with an effective army as
= large as that of both Norway and Den
mark, undoubtedly better equipped
and far better supplied with guns anC
ammunition than either, can be saiC
1 to practically dominate the Scandina
vian situation. Danish officials frank
: ly told me that Denmark would las
about two weeks if it entered the wa
against Germany, even in the presen
stage, without other assistance. The.
professed to believe that Denmark
entrance in the war could only serv'
0 to strengthen Germany's position
strategically and help her out great.
: in the matter of food.
Sweden can put an effective army o
: 100000 men in the field In organiza
ton, drill, discipline, equipment am
appearance, they remind one strongl
r, of the German army The Swedls
> troops make an excellent impression
In artillery and in aviation, the Swe
dish army is so far ahead of the Dane
{ and the Norwegians, that there is n
I comparison. 1t is easy to see VIII
. Norway and Denmark can hardl
: make so vivid a move as entering tn
u war without knowing what Swede
would do.
. | asked the high government off
cial whom / have quoted, to explain
me Sweden's position. He turned
his desk and drew out a mass of off
II cial data and figures, which is e1
planned and cited in detail. The TO
e lowing are some of the official figure
- and data given me:
y The chief scarcities in Sweden al
Is coal, wheat and fodder. Sweden n
ouires 5000 to 100000 tons of co;
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