The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-09-16
BY w. 3. CHAMBERLAIN,
Managing Editor Of The journal


The Scandinavian world is still
eagerly awaiting news of a settlement
from Karlstad, which any day now maysS
bring forth. The letter printed in ant
other column today from T he Jour-
n ais Stockholm correspondent throws
a strong light on the domestic POLITICAL
conditions in Sweden, and how they are
affected by the union crisis. The fact
that prolongation of the negotiations
tends to arouse the latent patriotism
of the Swedish voters and abstracts
their attention from the suffrage issue,
may explain in part the course of
Sweden s delegates. All but one Of
them are members of the conservative
settlement. Premier Lundberg can do
the reactionary party in Sweden no
greater service than by prolonging tbs
negotiations well along toward Oct. l,
by which time most of the pafliamen-
tary elections in Sweden will be over.
The Latest Bugaboo.
I Advices from Stockholm also bring
the interesting information that Karl
, stad itself may be affected unfavorably
by failure to settle the crisis amicably
and with certain guarantees as to
| intra Scandinavian traffic. Karlstad
| where the waters of Klara Elf furnish
| the main water supply. On this river
floats down the timber from the noun
tain forests which furnish a large
share Of the material of Karlstad s in
dustrial activity. The Klara Elf also
affords waterways far into the interior
| of western Sweden and is in every way
| a most important river. Its sources,
however, are in Norway, and Karlstad
is afraid that unless the relations Of the
two countries are amicably settled, the
canal, divert the waters of the Klara
| into the Glsmmen, which is entirely in
Norwegian territory and whose mouth
is where the much-discussed fortress of
lFredriksten stands. This would make.
the Klara nothing but sandbed and
would ruin Karlstad as well as the
other Swedish towns on Vennern 8
shores. It might even affect the water
supply of the great Goeta canal.
| With such speculations as these are
! the newspapers of Scandinavia busying
themselves for lack of real news from
Karlstad. Other points being settled,
| however, there will be no difficulty in
/ securing an agreement between the
| two countries guaranteeing fair treat
ment in all matters of intra- Scapdina-
Wan communication.
Talk Of Intervention.
The new phase of the moment is the
talk of Intervention by the powers.
/ The semi official visit of DR.. Nansen to
London and the visits Of Baron Bildt,
the Swedish minister, to the British
! foreign office, started this talk and the
story has been elaborated from other
quarters. Today IS Associated Press
dispatch from Karlstad to the effect
that Great Britain, France and Ger
many had offered their kindly offices
| probably gives the whole truth. There
is no need of Intervention yet, at any
rate, and no one power could intervene
in case of necessity without arousing
the jealousy of the others. It would
have to be joint intervention to be
successful. The Karlstad conferences
seems likely to settle all differences
without calling in the neighbors. There
is q distinct feeling of optimism to be
noted in the day IS dispatches, which in
dlcates that the tension is not SO great
and that the delegates are nearer :
settlement than they have been yet.