The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-07-29
Sweden WANTS NOR
WAY TO COME BACK

STOCKHOLM, July 2e.-Count L,
Douglas former minister Of foreign at
fairs Of Sweden and Norway. now gov
ernor general of the province Of Oster-
goetland and leader OF the "Storsven-
ska" or patriotic party, whose name
has been mentioned s. as the next pre-
mier Of Sweden, received: the CORE
s spondsnt Of the AssGciated Press p 20. TO-
port Of the special eel G ssma,ittse appoint:
ed by the riksdag: 10 deal with the
crisis between Sweden and Norway.
Count Douglas said; ': i
In Norway they say and have spread
broadcast over the; world that the
'Storsvenska' party IL q party of the
nobility, the object Of which is to give
the nobility Of Sweden the power Of
government. This talk is, as all sane
persons know, mer q nonsense and
object is to give Sweden some kind of
sovereignty over Norway. Such was
never our object, as you know. Nor
way has in respect of self government,
been one Of the freest nations in the
world. But the fact Is that long be-
fore the other parties We perceived the
duplicity Of some NorewgiAns. who
were working with the object in view
OF causing separation. TO obtain
their object they were necessarily
searching for seeds of dissension and
when found planted them and worked
hard and heartily for dissolution Of
tho union. We worked as hard to
counteract their efforts.
"On the first excitement after the
Norwegian revolution and after the
Swedish PEOPLE had recovered from
the stunning insult to it and its king,
many persons came to the conclusion
that II they, the Norewgians, are I'M
willing to live in peace with us and
share the apparent blessings Of this
union Of more than ninety years dura-
ton, let them 60 their own way and
we will 60 ours. But they could have
chosen a more honorable way to break
off the union.
Nov when the first excitement has
passed. Sweden ought to exert herself
to the utmost not to give up the union
because. in reality, the differences are
80 insignificant that they easily could
be overcome. A new union must be
offered. by US to the Norwegians, not
only under full liberty, equality and
complete independence Of both coun-
tries, but in which the principle of
the Scandinavian; peninsula against
the world must be consequently car
rfed through ',..f.:' +:
Thus besides T. common king we
must have common departments Of for
efgn affairs, of commercial affairs, of
war and Of the navy. And the PENN
sula must be Joined in a commercial
union 80 far as the commercial policy
Is concerned. All places on these four
departments from the highest to the
lowest should be open to either Swedes
or Norwegians. u A union parliament
meeting alternately in Stockholm and
Christiania should have control over
the common interests and to this par
Lament the cabinet members for the
common departments should be respon-
sible. 60:
ITO delay the decision in this grave
question until after the Swedish cleo
tions is correct. In the meantime Swe-
den will ask the powers not to acknowl-
edge Norway a. an Independent state
until the new riksdag has had an oppor-
tunity to express the will Of the Swedish
people. .>. =. 49,. -.,....=. =. +.
I'm conclusion let me express the hope
that the swedes and = Norwe CLANS who
have taken up their abode in the Tinted
States, will be able, to see things at
home in that clear way which distance
sometimes enables US to do. In their
unbiased view I think they viii see that
such q settlement of the crisis al outlined
IN this interview Il not only feasible but
the most practicable and honorable for
both parties" > -. 1r~'5. =