Evening star., 1940-04-04
Britain Is Seeking
Swedish Pact 10
Cut Nazi Iron Source
Hombro Bonk Head Now
In Stockholm; Aim Is to
Obviute Extreme Steps
BY LELAND STOWE,

ChlcAgo Daily News correspondent.
STOCKHOLM, April I (by radio) -
AS the latest move in the Western
allies determined drive to choke of
Swedish iron exports to Germany,
an exceptionally influential British
representative has quietly arrived
here after pausing to confer with
Norwegian authorities in Oslo.
Through her intermediary Great
Britain is reliably reported to be
asking Sweden to eliminate COM
pletely or to reduce sharply her iron
shipments to Hitler's Reich. In any
case this would cut them down far
below the f1gure-underStood to be
approximately 100000 tons of iron
ore per year-which was accepted in
the Anglo-Swedish trade agreement
OF last autumn.
This man is Charles Hambro, head
OF London's powerful Hambro's Bank
and one of Britain's most astute
financiers. Reputedly, he has been
dispatched to the Norwegian and
Swedish capitals as a spokesman for
the British Ministry of Economic
Warfare and carrying proposals Of
the British government.
What Britain and France are
offering the Swedes as an induce
ment for looping of several million
tons of their iron ore sales to Ger
many is not yet known.
Aim to Avoid Extreme Steps.
Britain attaches the greatest i'm
portance to an immediate curtail-
ment of Swedish ore shipments to
the Reich. The choice of the head
of the Hambro Bank as Britain S
representative in these delicate
negotiations also underscores Lon
don's desire for a new settlement
without benefit Of controversy or
extreme blockade measures unless
they cannot be avoided.
Great Britain's banker representa-
tive is undoubtedly counted upon to
be particularly effective in Stock
holm because of his personal con-
nections with the Wallenberg
brothers of Swedens financial giant,
the Enskilde Bank.
London is now counting on Banker
Hambro to enlist the Wallenberg S
support-and largely through the
consent of the Stockholm govern
mentor drastic reductions of iron
exports to Germany. This curtail-
ment has become vital to an allied
victory in the war and indispensa-
BILE to a shortening of hostilities. 1t
appears that the British are playing
a last business-f1nancial card before
reSorting to such extreme measures
as an imposition Of their blockade
inside Norway's three-mile limit
Apparently. they have also recog-
nized that the complete cutting of
of Swedish ore shipped through the
Norwegian port of Narvik would not
be nearly sufficient for their pur-
pose
Reich Industry Needs Ore.
Under the Anglo-Swedish trade
agreement, Germany could have
continued to obtain a major pro-
portion of the 100000 tons OF
Swedish ore per year, or half at
its requirements of iron purchased
abroad. But the high-grade Swed-
ish ore is essential to German in
dustrial production as we'll as arnJ1 :
ments, since it's mixture enormous
ly increases the quality Of German
steel in every branch of industry
If Hambro succeeds in obtaining a
large reduction in Swedish ore ship
ments to Hitler's Reich he will have
accomplished more for the allied
cause than many squadrons of cruis-
ers and destroyers or an alright
blockade of Norway's coast.
There remains, however the un-
certainty as to what Germany may
do to meet the British challenge in
Sweden.
Copyright, 1910, by Chicago Daily News,
Inc