Evening star., 1941-04-09
Swedish Envoy Asks
u. 5. UNDERSTANDING
For His Country
Relaxing Of Restrictions
Against Exports Is
Specifically Requested
Special Dispatch to The Star.

f-l1lbADELft1 t1lA, ApIll 81 Il6
Swedish Minister to the United
States made an urgent plea here last
night for a demonstration of Amer
lean friendship toward his country
In the name of the democratic spirit,
with the specific request that the
United States Government relax its
restrictive policy against granting
licenses for exporting goods to
Sweden. He spoke at the banquet
of the Swedish Colonial Society.
"There is at stake here more than
limited quantities of this or that
material or this or that piece of ma
schinery," Minister BoStrom said.
Together with Finland, Sweden
stands today as an almost isolated
OUTPOST on guard for the ideals which
the American people and their Gov
eminent want to see prevail in the
world.
"Our peoples will to defend them
selves can be broken only by force,
but it must be understood in this
country, where the cause of all de-
mocracies has been taken up, that
the faith in these ideals on the part
of a small nation, like the Swedish,
will be greatly encouraged by the
friendship and understanding 1t
receives from the greatest OF the
democracieS.
Swedes Want Understanding.
"I will speak now clearly and say
that the Swedish people feel at this
moment that they have a justified
claim to understanding and SYM
pathy from the nation which their
forebears, more than 300 years ago,
helped to found, and which more
than any other cherishes the same
ideals as they"
The Minister emphasized that
Sweden, despite her difficult geo.
graphical position in this time OF
war, has been able to defend her
political neutrality and to retain
her economic independence. He said
of SWeden's relations with Germany:
THAT our trade with Germany
has been increased beyond the nor
NAL is only natural and inevitable.
But in this connection I believe 1t
worth while to stress the fact that
this trade between Sweden and
Germany has maintained the same
character as that conducted before
the war.
Gossip Is Baseless."
.We still import a great deal more
from Germany than we export to
her, as we always have. We are
still paid in goods. real things, and
not in paper money or promises to
paw or book credits. All this gossip
about Germany cleaning us out OF
our goods is therefore baseless.
"The main German exports to us
are coal and coke. of which an in
dustrial country like Sweden has
vital need. Before the war we got
nearly so per cent Of our coal from
Great Britain. Now Germany de- /
livers with some difficulty about
tvo-thirds of this requirement. The |
rest we try to make up for by more
electrification and by the increased
Use of wood, of which we have an
ample supply.
"From Germany we also get large |
quantities of iron. For this year
about 100000 tons are expected.
This may surprise those who nave
heard so much about the exports
of Swedish iron ore, but the fact
is that for technical reasons sweden
has always exported large amounts
of iron ore to both Germany and
Great Britain, as well as to the
limited States, and in return has
imported a great deal OF so-called
commercial or structural IRON LOT
its mechanical industries, building
purposes and similar uses.
No Export of War Materials.
sOur sales to both Germany and
Great Britain were regulated by
wartime treaty contracts, con-
cluded with both parties in the fall
of 1899 AS basic principle 1t
was agreed In both cases that the |
ore exports during the war were TO
be based on the figures for 1888.
THE fact that since April 9. 194O, |
Great Britain has not been able to
get any ore from Sweden is a cir
curnstance over which Sweden has
not had any control. The continued
exports to Germany of Swedish ore
according to signed contracts has
not been objected to by the British
and as far as I know has never
been regarded by them as breach
of neutrality on our part.
Except to Finland, there has
been no export from Sweden OF war
materials to any belligerent power
mot for a moment has Sweden
relaxed in its efforts to resume It's
trade westward After many efforts
the Swedish government has been
able to come to an agreement with
both belligerent parties, which
makes possible limited exchange
of goods with countries beyond the
seas. chiefly the United States and
South America, direct to and from
Gothenburg."