The Archive · 1940

Britain Reported to Have Offered Guarantees to Norway, Sweden

Sweden Officially Denies Report But Rumours Persist; Allies Would Step in If Reds Attack

London, Jan. 17.

Sweden and Norway have received written British offers of assistance if their independence is threatened, informed Scandinavian sources asserted here. It was reported on Sa that Britain recently offered to guarantee Swedish neutrality, but sweden declined in the fear big that would regard the as a justification of anti-said felt that any aggression Swedish action. Scandinavian sources against would find Britain on Sweden's side in any case.

It was learned that the Swedish Foreign Office denied that any offer had been made despite the report last that both Sweden and and to which neither Norway had received British offers

have yet Coincidentally, the French Foreign Office losed that if Germany attacked any neutrals, the victim would "benefit. by the formidable support of France and Britain."—

Swedish independence and territorial integrity.—Havas.

Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.

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