Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-04-15
The Case of Sweden

delivered to the Swedish Foreign
Office by our Minister to Stockholm
is quick augmentation of the
warning to neutralS against trading
with the Axis uttered by Secretary
of State Cordell Hull in his radio
address only four days before. Al
though the text of the note has not
yet been made public, it is authori-
tatively stated to contain specific
demand that Sweden halt the ex-
portation to Axis countries of ball
bearings and the raw materials and
machines used in the making of
such bearings.
This raises the neutrality issue in
acute form. Ball bearings are vital
to the functioning of the German
war machine. The domestic output
was badly crippled by the successful
Allied bombing of Germany's chief
ball-bearing plants at Schweinfurt
last autumn. Sweden, however,
makes probably the best ball bear
ings in the world, and has been
exporting part OF its output to
Germany under trade agreements
renewed annually.
Those agreements are not one
sided affairs. BY them, Sweden,
entirely cut off from the Allied
world except for a few ships plying
under Axis and Allied safe-conducts,
gets from Germany coal and other
items which it needs imperatively.
The Swedish government has not
encouraged its nationals to expand
this war trade beyond the limits OF
economic reciprocity. Indeed, the
current trade agreement with Ger
many substantially reduces the
volume of iron and steel products,
including ball bearings.
Sweden thus cannot be charged
with war profiteering. Neither can
its pro-Ally and anti-Nazi senti-
ments be in doubt. The only factors
partially offsetting Sweden's pref
erence with the Western powers
are its sympathy with Finland and
its abiding fear of Russia, the hered-
itary enemy.
However. Sweden has neither the
intention nor the desire voluntarily
to enter the present war. The
settled aim of both government
and people is the maintenance of
genuine neutrality, which in prac-
tice means even-handed conduct
toward both sides. This certainly
involves the keeping Of signed con-
tracts. Sweden has trade agree
ment with Germany which runs
through the current year.
If correctly reported, the Anglo
American note demands a breach of
that agreement by stopping con-
tractual deliveries of ball bearings
and other items to Germany. A
spokesman of the Swedish Foreign
Office is quoted as terming Secre-
tary Hull's warning to neutrals "a
surprising blast" and as going on
to say that Sweden intended to full
I'LL her commercial agreements.
1t is to be hoped that this in
cipient controversy can be settled
amicably. The Swedes are a proud
people, and pressure is apt to make
them stubborn rather than con-
ciliatory. Furthermore, Sweden re-
CARDS her neutrality not merely as
a measure OF self-preservation, but
also as the basis for useful role
in furthering postwar reconstruct
ton. 1t is significant that, on the
very day of the Anglo-American
note, an economic agreement was
signed in London between the
Swedish government and the Nor
Wegian government-in- pro-
viding for extensive Swedish aid in
NorWay'S postwar rehabilitation
Viewed in It's larger aspect, the case
of Sweden deserves careful consid-
Grafton and should not be prejudged.