HC Deb 24 March 1943 vol 387 cc1602-3
6. Mr. Ivor Thomas

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has received any explanation from the Swedish Government regarding the German aircraft carrying 19 German soldiers which made a forced landing in Sweden?

8. Mr. Norman Bower

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is now satisfied that German transport aircraft carrying troops and unmounted machine guns have been passing over Swedish territory; and, if so, whether he will make it clear to the Swedish Government that these breaches of neutrality on the part of Sweden must inevitably react to her disadvantage in connection with any post-war settlement of political and economic problems?

Mr. Law

My right hon. Friend has already communicated with His Majesty's Minister in Stockholm, who has been instructed to establish the facts of this case and to ascertain what is the Swedish Government's explanation of the incident. But I am not yet in a position to make a definite statement.

Major-General Sir Alfred Knox

Surely the Government have power to do something to bring Sweden more into line. Her attitude ever since the beginning of the war has been pro-Axis. She allowed Norwegian and German troops to go through and refused permission for our troops to go through to Finland.

Mr. Law

The first thing to do is to establish the facts, and that is being done.