Evening star., 1932-09-16
|SWEDES TO INSIST
| ENGLAND PAY DEBT
Group of importers to Press
$1O,OO0,OOO Claim Dur
ing Wales Visit.
BY the Associated Press.

! BY the Associated Press.
STOCKHOLM, September 16.-Claim-
! ing that England owes them 10000 900
| kroner (about Sl0.000,000 for mer-
| chandise confiscated during the World
! War a group of 100 Swedish importers
has taken advantage Of the announced
visit of the Prince of Wales here to
do battle once more for their cause.
| An active propaganda campaign, replete
with sarcasm and irony. has been
started and apparently will continue
while the Prince Of Wales is a guest
| Of Sweden.
The importers, known as the "Asso-
citation Of Swedish Creditors of Great
Britain" are determined TO combat any
move by England for increased trade
with Sweden until they have been given
| satisfaction.
| This association comprises Swedish
| importers who had their cargoeS held
i up and seized by the British authorities
| during the war They insist that Great
Britain violated rights of a neutral ma
ton in making such seizures, and have
fought for years for settlement. claim
ing that England failed to make repa-
| rationS in full.
| These men have for years professed
to believe that England. by not making
| full settlement. tried to spank Sweden
| for alleged pro-German sympathies
curing the World War.
1t was during the British blockade
OF the North Sea that the Swedish
/ cargoeS found their way into British
ports. Sweden, in company with Nor
way and Denmark, protested and asked
redress. When the war ended Swedish
| importers sent in a bill for approSi-
mately l00,000,000 kroner about s25,-
600 o,OOO).
England Pays so Per cent.
In 1919, the Swedish importers claim,
England made full reparation to Nor
! way and Denmark. but they say that
Sweden was offered a general compen-
sation amounting to so per cent of
the values Of the seized goods. The
offer, moreover, they claim. was in the
form of an ultimatum giving them
choice Of so per cent or nothing at all
Many Of the Swedish importers
agreed, because, they have since
claimed. Of economic distress and
hope that England would settle in full
when trade returned to normal. Others
refused to agree, losing out entirely.
More than that, they claim England
made heavy deductions for storage and
unloading costs, refunding, in effect,
only 40 per cent of the value of the
merchandise.
The association was formed in 1925
and has since that time striven for
arbitration by an international court,
or for an agreement of some sort by
the respective governments. England
for number Of years has considered
the matter closed
The announced visit of the Prince of
Wales and the Ottawa conference have
stirred the association to increased
activity
We understand" writes the Swedish
Wholesalers Magazine. that England's
foremost commercial traveller. the
Prince of Wales. is 10 pay us visit.
Notice Of this follows as good as i'm
mediately after the conclusion Of the
Ottawa conference and is most GER
tainly no accident.
We understand very we'll the Brit
ish desires and viewpoint The visit
Of the Prince Of Wales is in line with
similar moves in the past. most GER
tainly to arouse enthusiasm and sup
port for English products.
Shameful Aggression"
Swedish importers can never forget.
however the shameful aggression by
official England during the war. The
many millions of kroner that the Brit
ish unscrupulously seized and then re-
fused to return in defiance of the most
elemental rights. has put high barriers
in the path of efforts to shape the
soil for an increased market
Capt. Axel G. Linder. secretary Of the
association. declares that a publicity
campaign for the cause is being planned
In connection with the visit Of the
Prince of Wales to Stockholm.
We have no intention" says Capt.
Linder, "of discontinuing our efforts to
secure Justice in this matter. England
today has an association Of creditors
of Russia. in the matter Of British pri-
vate property seized by Russia. We
have an analogous association. directed
at Great Britain. and We have dozens
OF importers who have refused to deal
with Great Britain because Of this
matter.
we feel that we have a just and
righteous claim and, until We are given
satisfaction. We cannot allow ourselves
any sympathy with British efforts to
develop a traditionally good market IN
Sweden"