Evening star., 1939-09-28
Denlnark's Neutrality
OF Spanish Conflict
Is Continued
Delegates Reach
London to Negotiate
Rotionine Agreements
By WILLIAM H. sTONEMAN.

BY WILLIAM H. STONEMAN.
CHICAGO Daily News Foreign Correspondent.
LONDON, Sept. 28.-Under pres
sure from all sides and anxious not
to tread on the toes Of their power
full neighbors, the Scandinavian and
Baltic countries have already stop
ped shipping to belligerents any,
thing that might possibly be re-
garded as war material.
Denmark imposed a complete ban
on the shipment Of arms to bel
Ggerents at the time of the Spanish
war, and this ban still applies. The
best weapon, which Denmark might
otherwise be exporting to the allies
and Germany, is the famous Massen
machine gun, one of the most ef-
fective guns of its kind in existence.
Sweden has had an arms export
licensing system for years and is
now understood to be using it to
ban shipments of weapons and
munitions to both sides in the war.
Bofors anti-aircraft guns were ex-
ported in fairly large numbers dur
ing the years Immediately preceding
the war, but, according to Swedish
sources here, have not been exported
since the war began. These guns
are now being manufactured under
license here, according to state
ments which have been made to the
House of Commons.
Norway Nitrate Exports.
Norway does not manufacture
enough weapons to supply her own
defense needs, but managed to ex-
port large quantities of nitrates to
both sides during the greater part of
the last war. Exports of this and
similar raw materials, which are
usables in the manufacture of NUM-
tions, now are being controlled by
the Norwegian export license system.
The Baltic countries have never
been self-Sufficient in arms produc-
ticn and at present are not export
ing anything else which might be
classified as material of war.
Since they are not exporting
much, if any, direct contraband,"
that is, material which can be di-
rectly used in carrying on hostilities,
the Scandinavians are principally
concerned with the restrictions
which both the allies and the Ger
mans are attempting to apply to
their trade in indirect contraband,
raw materials, foodstuffs and manu-
factured goods, which each side is
anxious to prevent from reaching
the enemy.
System of Rationing.
Both the Germans and the allies
have furnished the Scandinavians
with contraband lists, naming the
categories of goods which are liable
to seizure or destruction if found
to be bound for the other side.
Since, however, allied warships are
unable to stop shipments across the
Baltic, France and Great Britain
will have to resort to the system
of rationing in order to control that
traffic. Under this system, which
was used during the latter years of
the World War, each government
will give the allies an undertaking
not to ship more than a fixed quaint
ity of certain specified goods to Ger
many IN return for which the allies
will allow other fixed quantities of
essential goods to reach Scandinavia
through the North Sea and the At
1antic blockade If, for example,
Sweden wants to get coal or cotton
enough to supply her domestic de-
mandS, she may be required to scale
down her exports of iron ore to
Germany.
Official delegations from the
Scandinavian governments have
now reached London to negotiate
the necessary rationing agreements.
They will naturally endeavor to
maintain the flow of goods which
they normally import from the
west, while the British will en-
deavor to limit those imports, by
agreement, to such an extent that
the Scandinavians will not have
surpluses for export to Germany.
The British, at the same time, have
no desire to embarrass the Scan
dinavians in their relations with
Germany up to a point at which
Germany might resort 10 direct ac-
ton against them.
copyright, 1889. by Chicago Daily News.