Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1905-04-19
Items OF General interest from
the Old World and
the New.
SWEDEN WANTS HER SONS BACK
Will Offer Inducements for Emf.
grants to America to Return
to Mother Country.

Bergen at Gothenburg in report tt
the state department the Swedish gov
eminent is seriously considering plans
for promoting the return to Sweden OF
such emigrants to the United States
as are able to invest money in real
estate. AS step in that direction l,
is proposed to send agents to the states
in the American union having the larg'
est Scandinavian population for the
purpose of investigating the conditions
there and using the information OBJ
tanned for the purpose mentioned. One
of the proponents says that even now
some immigrants return to Sweden,
but that the movement is counteracted
by unfavorable conditions there-such
as defective judiciary conditions, and
the bureaucratic state Of society, which
repels the Swedish-Americans, who are
accustomed to more liberal social rela'
tons, and finally the intolerance of the
whole public in Sweden, which does
not understand the self-esteem natural
to the Swedish-American who by his
own exertions has passed from power
ty to good economic circumstances. He
SAYS that these unfavorable conditions
ought to be changed and that every
thing practical ought to be done to
promote the return of emigrants; that
the Swedish-Americans are practical
people, with wide views, hardy and
strong men and women, noted for their
sobriety and moral and religious lives;
that a greater return Of the better
classes of immigrants would also bring
more money to Sweden; that the Opin.
ion Of Swedish Americans is favorable
to such Arrangements and that the
American authorities are too noble
spirited to put any obstacles in the
way of such movement, although
they recognize the good qualities Of the
Scandinavian immigrants. The pro.
penent says that arrangements should
be made so that 1t would be easier to
obtain land in Sweden-particular
government land-and loans of money
On easy terms for the erection of good
homes; that attempts should be made
to bring about the return of engineers
and skilled workmen, who in the
United States have gained good posi-
tons, and to invite American capital
which would promote the utilization
OF Swedish mines, waterfalls, etc. He
says that such connections with the
United States would be Of advantage,
economically, and in other ways.
Princess Margaret of England is al
most a year older than her future hus-
band. Prince Gustavus Alophus OF
Sweden, duke of Scania. Not being a
daughter of the sovereing nor even of
the heir apparent, she will not receive
from the English nation the dowry Of
$15O,OOO and the further annuity of
$4,000 which was granted to all the
daughters of the late Queen Victoria
on their marriage. But for all that
she will not be portionless. 1t is true
that her father, the duke of Connaught,
may not have been able to save much
from the allowance of $125,000 a year
which he has been receiving from the
nation since his marriage, to which of
course must be added the $4,000 of
salary now paid to him as inspector
general of the British army. But the
duchess of Connaught inherited a con-
siderable share of the immense fortune
of her father, Prince Frederick Charles
of Prussia, the red prince, and one of
the richest royal personages Of Europe,
besides which Queen Victoria made
special provision for the children of
the duke of Connaught and for other
of her grandchildren, so 1t Is estimated
that Princess Margaret will have on
her marriage an allowance of her own
amounting to about $4,000 year.
Her future husband eventually will be
wealthy, as the present queen of Swe-
den brought to her husband a colossal
fortune Inherited from her father, the
duke of Nassau, who had amassed it
in the same manner as the prince of
Monaco, that is to say, by permitting
public gambling establishments to be
run in his dominions. King Oscar by
judicious investments, cautious specu-
lations, and successful industrial enter
prises is known to have almost treble
this fortune.
Crownprince Gustaf's proposal with
regard to the differences between Swe-
den and Norway have made an I'M
favorable impression throughout Nor
way. 1t is thought that the princes
plan Is mere trick to create an i'm
preston abroad against Norway. This
is also expressed by the Swedish liber-
al press, which says that the princes
plan is only the old Swedish program,
with the Norwegian essentials ex-
cluded. Norway wants the Swedish
government to keep at work on sepa-
rate consular reforms. then Norway
will be willing to consider the Swedish
program. All the Norwegian political
parties stand on this platform. The
crownprince knows this, therefore his
proposal is an idle attempt TO induce
Norway to give up its plan for con-
sular reform-when 1t has an excellent
hold and to begin negotiations anew,
dealing with the whole subject of un-
ion in which direction there is no
guaranty OF any practical result
Crownprince Gustaf's refusal to stop
the publication of his proposal until