The Portland daily press., 1885-09-22
swEDENANp THE UNITED STATES.
An Interesting Conversation with Ex-
Minister Thomas.

~AAAHsSA3 hSNCl UCtlCI Ill lily lie ana
never happier. l am just as full as
can hold of quiet content that l am
home again back in the good old State of
Maine and among my old friends in Port
land. Why, it is worth going abroad for
| couple of years if only to find out how dear
ones native land is to him. There is an old
saying, and Swedish one at that, ''Borta ar
bra, men bemnaa ar bdst." Literally this is
Abroad is good, but home is best" But it
may be freely translated The best part of
travelling is getting home again." and that 1
now realize to its full extent.
REPoRTER-When did you arrive?
Mr.. THoMAs-Early Friday morning in the
Inman steamship "City of Chester" And 1
was on deck by o'clock to get the first glimpse
of our shores. What balm there was in the
air, and how deep were the colors of sunrise!
No European land has the balmy air, and
bright skies of America, except possibly
Italy, and there doubt And then, things
that are every day to you, and were to me,
struck me now in their true light as wonders
the broad expanse of New York bay the
suspension bridge towering above the tallest
masts; that marvel of comfortable, roomy
magnifcence, an American sound steamer:
and that lofty crown of electric light, rival of
the moon, illuminating the dangers of He'll
Gate. And then there was the flag, the dear
old flag, flying from ships and buildings
everywhere. Seldom we see the old flag
abroad now.
REPoRrER-But you hoisted our flag at
Stockholm, and were the first Minister to do
so, were you not?
Mr.. THoMAs-Ah, that reminds me how
surprised was on taking possession of the
archives and property of the Legation to
find there was no American flag there On
inquiry l ascertained that foreign Ministers
never displayed their countries flag at the
Swedish capital, and that to hoist our ban
ner would be considered breach of diplo-
matte etiquette. But it seemed to me that
this diplomatic custom was one ebetter hon.
ored in the breach than the observance" so
when the sixth day of November came
around, the anniversary of the day when
Sweden's greatest king, Gustavus Adolphus,
fell at Lntzen, and when great bands of sing
ers bearing banners, marched through the
crowded streets to the masoleum, where lies
entombed this Zion of the north and sung
peans IN his praise, it so happened that the
stars and stripes were run up from the Amer
can Legation In honor of this idol of the
Swedish heart. This act was approved nv
the Swedish people. The Swedish newspa
pers applauded "A tribute at once beautiful
yet simple,a becomes the representative of a
Republic" they said.
After this our banner f1oated unchallenged
on Washington's birthday, Memorial Day. 4th
OF July and our other holidays But hoist
ed it impartially: if the flag went up on the
22d of February, it would also fly out on the
birthday OF King Oscar, and the star spangled
banner was flung out alike on the holidays
OF Sweden and America. Oh! how many
t I'm SIS some american traveller has dropped
into the Legation, Il don't want to bother
you, Mr.. Minister, and I've got no business
here, but I'm an American, and lust called
to thank you, for giving me a sight of the old
flag way up here in the North"
REPORTER-And how did Won like the
Swedes?
Mr.; THoMAs-Very, very much A more
chivalric, hospitable and courteous race does
not exist on this globe.
before?
Mr.. THoMAs-Yes, Consul under Old
ape. AND Wnen L returned as Minister the
Swedes greeted me more as an old friend
come back again than as stranger ''Wel-
come back to Sweden was the greeting of
the King when | received my first official
audience.
REPoRTER-I have heard that at that very
audience you broke another diplomatic
custom by delivering your speech to the
King in the Swedish language
MIR. THoMAs-Yes, yes, that was the first
time such thing ever occurred in Sweden.
u lhere was not newspaper. in the country
did not know what the King Thought about
it at the time but soon after His Majesty
gave dinner to the Ministers of japan and
America at the summer palace of Drottning-
holm During the banquet the King sudden
" turned to me and asked: "Do you know
President Arthur personally? Replying
that had the honor of the Presidents ac.
quaintance the King continued: ''Weli.
wish you to write him and tell him from me
that L thank him for having sent to my court
an American who speaks the language of my
country"
REPoRTER-What is your opinion of the
King?
MR.. THoMAs-The very highest. No
more cultured monarch than the King of
Sweden and Norway wears a crown today
He is poet whose works have been translat-
ed into several other languages; and as an
orator he is easily the first in Sweden. More
than this, he is high minded Christian gen
tleman. Personally he is most command
ing figure, six feet and four inches tall, and
every inch king.
REPoRTEE-What are our present COM
merclal relations with Sweden?
Mr. THOMAS-Ah! Now YOU come to
business. Our commercial relations with
foreign countries are, or ought to be, the
prime object of not only our consular but of
our whole diplomatic corps. The time of
passed away, and diplomatic notes are no
longer transmitted for the purpose of ex-
changing sentiments of the most distin-
guished consideration. That minister serves
the sale of his country's products in the land
to which he is accredited. | am aware this
is an unpoetical way of looking at interna-
tlonal relations, but it is practical, and this
Is practical age Now to successfully in
troduce American goods into foreign mar
kets, or to hold on to the trade we already
have with foreign countries it is of prime
Importance to establish and maintain direct
steam communication between America and
those countries.
Twenty years ago when l was consul to
Sweden | streve in every way within
my power to aid in establishing direct line
OF steamships between Sweden and Ameri-
ca. AS minister / renewed nv efforts. and
am happy to say that steamships now ply di-
rectly between New Y ork and Gothenburg and
that American exporters can send American
products without transhipment, direct from
America to Sweden.
REPoRTER-Is there any considerable sale
of American goods in Sweden?
Mr.. THoMAs-Yes, more than you would
suppose sent out one day for a lock for nv
door and they brought back a Yale lock made
IN Connecticut. AT every stationer's you find
any considerable size in Sweden where
canned Holsters packed by our own Portland
Packing Company are not sold and the same
may De SAID Oh our western canned corned
beef. American apples are printed on the
bills of fare of nearly all the eating houses
in the kingdom, and / have eaten many an
apple in Scandinavia that l will take nv
oath came from the State of Maine; or else
my boyish sense of taste and smell, acquired
partly in orchards not my own, has deserted
me. Then we export to Sweden leather, ag-
ricultural implements, petroleum, grain, |
flour, pork, and those thousand and one arti, |
Giles that come under the prolific |
head of Yankee notions Why You |
can scarcely go into well to do |
Swedish farmers house without seeing |
hanging on the wall an American clock, fire. |
quently embellished with an engraving of |
George Washington; and every farmers and |
hsher's cot in Scandinavia is lighted at night |
with American kerosene
REPoRTER-Are there high duties in Swe- |
den on goods and produce sent from the |
United States?
Mr.. THoMAs-I am glad you asked me |
that question. Very glad. It gives me an |
opportunity, Of doing justice to Sweden. |
Within the last few years the sentiment of |
protection to home products and manufac |
lures has been rapidly growing in Europe: |
and this sentiment has been especially di, |
rected against the products of the United |
States First France and Germany and then |
many Of the other European powers have