Evening star., 1917-09-16
NORDVALL ASSERTS.
SWEDEN IS NEUTRAL
Special Envoy Spurns Charge
That Country Is Pro-German.
Independence at Stake.
SWISS TRIBUTE TO ALLIES
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
PHILADELPHIA. September ls--Dr.
Alex Nordvall,. special diplomatic en-
yoy from Sweden to the United States.
speaking at the national conference on
worlds food, before the American Acad-
envy of Political and Social Science, de-
MED Sweden has failed to adhere to
neutrality. Referring to the recent eN-
posure of German trickery in the Ar
gentine republic DR.. Nordvall retuted
charges that Sweden is pro-German.
Sweden seeks her political ideals in
other ways than does Germany he
said. Sweden must retain her neutral
ity If she is to continue an independent
government"
Prof. William E. Rappard of the Uni
yersity of Geneva, a member OF the
Swiss economic delegation to the United
States. also spoke. He said that neu-
trality was a fundamental element In
the Swiss national life
Statement of Sweden's Needs.
Or. NordvalI said Sweden must import
twelve million bushels of grain or starve
asserting there Is little export trade De
tween Sweden and Germany at present.
in this emergency he said Sweden trusts
in the United States to supply It's needs
Or. Nordvall spoke on the general theme.
Food for the neutralS.
Greater sacrifices are demanded of the
Japanese than any other ally in the
world war in the opinion Of Viscount
kikujiro Ishii. ambassador OF Japan on
n special mission to this country, who
spoke at the concluding session tonight.
.Jspans entire area is considerably
smaller than that of the state OF
Texas" he said. This alone must open
TO you a field for consideration or Japan
and a ready answer when you are ask
ed why Japan does not contribute more
TO the war in Europe
Our credit has been created by
Srugality of living and sacrifice of
the individual. We are endeavoring TO
conserve that credit SO as TO insure our
independence
Little Switzerland's Plight.
Little Switzerland's plight in the
rnidsl of the great war and her depend
ence upon America for her means of
existence were pictured by Prof. Rap
pard OF the Swiss economic delegation
He declared his peoples sympathy was
with the champions of democracy
against autocracy. as becomes the cltl-
zens of the oldest republic in the world.
but that neutrality was a fundamental
element In their national life. and their
word not "a scrap of paper.
"Since 1914. he said, switzerland has
become entirely dependent on the allies
IN general and on the United States in
particular for many essential commod1-
ties. the most important of which is
has become equally dependent on the
central powers in general and on Ger
many in particular for equally essen
tial commodities. the most important of
which are coal. iron. chemical fer
tilizers and potatoes. That the central
powers should rot supply us gratnttouslv
with coal and iron is as natural as 1t is
natural that the allies should not aHew
us to pay for them with the foodstuffs
they export for us
Recognized by Allies.
"The allies have recognized that our
economic relations with the central
powers have been limited as far as is
compat ible With the necessity of our
national existence In order to live we
must import some cereal foodstuffs
from the allies and export some
products of our grazing industry to the
central. powers; that is the price eN-
acted for the coal and iron. which no
one but they can furnish u.s. To deny
US the right to import or to make it
dependent upon refusal to export
would therefore be to deny us the
right to live.
.In her efforts to hold and to gain the
sympathies, or perhaps on account of
them, she has been generous toward US.
Burning exclusively German coal, the
Swiss people suffered less from last win
ter's cold than the German people them
selves. Last year three-fourths of our i'm
ported potatoes were furnished us by Ger
many. Our own crop had failed and this
spring, when we were in dire need OF po-
eato seeds Germany, in spite of her own
shortage, supplied us literally.
when the rumors of the threatening
America embargo on food for neutrals
reached Europe, rumors which provoked
still more rejoicing in Berlin than anxiety
In Bern. it was intimated that if the allies
failed US We might rely on Germany even
for our cereal foodstuffs.
In her present situation there are
few economic sacrifices which Germany
would not make if they were fruitful
of political advantage. Fortunately the
allies have also treated US fairly thus
far. The eilurements of unlimited Ger
man generosity have therefore not been
too effective. But they are dangerous
and they might become fatal for our
people II We were not certain of your
peoples and OF your governments
sympathetic interest and support
ihe United States government has it
In its power to serve Switzerland or to
ruin her. For America to serve Switzer-
land IN the present crisis Is to clear the
wa for realization of the American
peace idea. by convincing the most hard
ened OF German skeptics and cynics of
Its absolute sincerity and of its mod
eration. For America TO let Switzerland
Perish OF TO allow her to De served
through the shrewd and calculating gen
erosity of the German autocracy would
he to abandon the most ancient and the
frnest foothold OF liberal and fedora
tive democracy the continent Of Eu-
7op.- Could anything more hopelsssly OBJ
scure the fundamental issues Of this war,
undertaken by the United States to
realize political fellowship between peo-
Pies OF different tongues and races of
which Switzerland is perhaps the most
perfect prototype in the world?
Embodiment Of Democracy" :.
And on the other hand could any,
thing more siorIously and more per-
suasively show the German people the
true intentions of the American govern
Gent and Tie true obstacle 10 lasting
peace than a fair and generous treat
mont of that country which, at their
doors. is for friends and foes OF democ-
racy alike. the very embodiment of the
democratic idea?
"A public statement of this policy
and or its Justification from the Amerf-
ran point of view. coming from this
country and re-echoed into GERMANY
through the thousand channels of our
press. would be more than a conyinc-
ing argument It would be a demon
stratton. We know that America will
save Switzerland because we know
that it is Americas wish and will that
the government of the people, by the
people and for the people perish not
Prom the earth OF Europe but that it
I'VE and reign over all mankind"
Licensing of retail food dealers and
commission merchants was recommended
as means of reducing the cost of living
hF