Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-09-25
WAR PERIL GREAT
FOR SCANDINAVIA
Even if Neutral, She Can
Expect Blows From
Both Sides.
BY WILLIAM H. SLOVENIAN.

great war, experience shows that 1t
can expect only high-handed, hui
initiating and expensive treatment
from both sides in the struggle.
1t is largely for this reason that
many thoroughly democratic citizens
In Sweden, Denmark and Norway
today are pleading for an Anglo Ger
man understanding. even at the ex-
pense Of Nazi control over Central
and Eastern Europe.
What would happen to the Scan
dinavian countries in another great
war. even as neutrals. can be guessed
from the manhandling which they
underwent during the last war Today,
due to the breakdown of all codes
governing neutral rights. 1t Is probable
that the treatment accorded small
and comparatively defenseless states
would be even less pleasant.
Military Necessity Cited
Their experience between 1914 and
1918 was not encouraging, nor did
1t reflect any credit upon either the
Allies or the Central Powers. Yet
it can be said upon their behalf that
the belligerents generally operated
according to regular rules which they
laid down in advance, that they were
able to justify their action on grounds
of military necessity, and that they
eventually came to agreements with
the Scandinavian countries which
spared them from bankruptcy and
starvation. 1t can also be recalled
that they did not violate the territorial
integrity of these countries.
In August. 1914, the general rights
Of neutrals were well established under
international law and the rules gov
erning the sea born traf1ic OF neutrals,
which is so important to the maritime
countries Of the North, were absolutely
clearcut. JThe rules of the sea were
laid down in the Paris convention of
1856, in agreements reached at The
Hague in 1907 and finally in the Lon
don declaration Of 1909.
Blockade Rules Defined.
The rules of blockade were we'll
defined and goods were legally di-
vided into three categories: Absolute
contraband. which was OF direct mill.
tary use; conditional contraband,
which might be of military use, and
non-contraband, which seemed OF no
military Importance.
Absolute contraband could be seized
if bound for an enemy destination.
even though it was to be reshipped
in neutral port. Conditional con-
traband could be seized only II bound
directly for an enemy port and nom
eontraband was not liable to seizure.
All neutral ships which were seized
had to be submitted to prize court
for final judgment; neutral ships could
not be seized while under escort Of
their own warships; search had to
take place on the high seas unless the
ship were subject to strong suspicion,
and if they were taken into a belliger-
ent port without adequate reason,
damages had to be paid.
The theory was that civilians were
entitled to live, even In belligerent
countries. and that citizens Of neutral
countries had right to sell anybody
anything but goods directly useful in
war
London Declaration Strapped.
The war had hardly begun when
Britain on August 20, 1914, announced
that conditional as we'll as absolute
contraband would be seized If bound
for neutral port for transshipment
to the enemy. On September 81 the
British extended the list Of condi-
tional contraband to include many
items which, according to the London
declaration, could not be seized in any
circumstances. On this list they in
cluded iron ore, which Sweden was
shipping in large quantities to Ger
many via Rotterdam, but after strong
Swedish protests they allowed the
shipments to continue.
BY the end Of 1914 the London dec
laration had been thoroughly scrapped
and the Scandinavian countries were
able to continue their foreign trade
by giving heavy guarantees against re-
export and by bartering with the bel
llgerents for goods. Norway and Dem
mark were most heavily hit because
Of their close proximity to England
and Germany. but Sweden itself soon
had to capitulate and 10 acknowledge,
by acquiescing to the belligerents' de-
mands, that her neutral rights were
more or less non-existent
Pacts May Be Models.
The agreements concluded by Swe-
den with Germany in April, 1918, and
with the allies on May 20, 1918, estab-
hshed regular basis for this coun-
try's wartime commerce and are in
terestlng as possible models for SINH
lar agreements in the future.
In the agreement with Germany the
latter granted safe passage to neutral
ships approaching Sweden from the
west with goods designed for Swedish
consumption and the two countries
agreed to compensation" exchange
OF several important products. Sweden
on one hand, agreed to send Germany
definite quantities of such things as
iron ore. celluose and paper while Ger
many agreed to furnish Sweden with
minimum quotas of coal, coke and
other items.
The agreement with the allies gave
the latter use Of 100000 tons of swed-
ish shipping. limited the amount of
certain Swedish exports to Germany
and in return guaranteed Sweden the
right to import minimum Qualities
OF essential goods from the West, for
her own use.
| (Copyricht Io3s hy rh;,.r. n., NJ