Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1905-11-16
Recent Occurrences of Interest
in Sweden, Norway and
Denmark.
FINLAND WINS HER FREEDOM
Situation Still Threatening, However.
on Account OF the Attitude of
the Socialists.
SWEDEN.
Stockholm.

Finland has apparently won free
dom from the ear. but the situation
remains threatening on account of the
attitude Of the socialists. According
to latest dispatches there will be fight.
ing Of a severe character, IL indeed
1t Is not in progress already. In
Sweden there is an unusual interest
manifested in plucky Finland's fate,
and that of course by reason of the
fact that the Films are so closely re-
Hated to the Swedes. Finland was I'M
der Swedish rule for 500 years, enjoy
eminent. BY the treaty Of Fredriks-
hamn in 1909 the country was coded
10 Russia, but II retained its laws and
practically its own system Of hone
rule until 1893, when the present car
began his policy Of repression, with a
view to completely "Russify" the
duchy. In 1902 the last vestige of
Finnish autonomy was destroyed and
a Russian governor general with au-
t%ocratic powers was placed I'm charge.
Within the last few years Helsingfors
and other cities In Finland have been
the scenes Of many a~ssassinations and
disorders. Finland is a larger coun-
try than Norway, having an area of
$4,000 square miles and a population
Of about 100000. Helsingfors has
close to 100000 inhabitants. Abo has
10000, Tammerfors $4,000, and Vihorg
10000. The population is overwhelm-
ingly Lutheran in religion. In 1899
there were 2,620,S91 of that faith, AS
S12 orthodox Greek, 2,62O Baptists,
6G0 Roman Catholics and 800 Metho-
dists. Nearly all the people are edu
Gated, there being numerous public.
parochial and travelling schools, be-
sides universities and colleges.
DIR. Sven Hedin. the famous
Swedish traveller and explorer, has
again started Of on an extensive ex-
ploration trip. He started the other
day for Constantinople and will con-
tinue on his journey TO Thibet, via.
the Black sea, Turkish Armenia. Per
STA and Beloochistan. Tie will prefer
to travel by horseback $50 miles
through Asia than to take the Suez
canal route because this will enable
him to explore the deserts of eastern
Persia, hitherto UNEMPLOYED by any
European traveller. His real object.
however, is to reach the spring dis
tricts in Bramaputra and so on into
central Thlbet. The cost of this ex-
ploration trip, which Is the fifth In or
dAn that Il- ITAAf,. L. ~,IxxIf.. a..
estimated at 100000 crowns. a sum
which is furnished him by King Os-
car, Messrs. Dickson OF Lund, Eman-
uel Nobel, Consul o. Ekinan, Fred
Lowenadler, William OLSON and Sir
Henry Ruffer of Edinburg. Scotland.
King Oscar has besides written a let
ter to the shah Of Persia requesting
an escort for Mr.. Hedin while in that
country, especially on the border OF
Afghanistan and Beloochistan, where
the natives ere liable to cause trouble.
As early as last summer Lord Curzon.
ex-viceroy of India, had promised
Hedin an escort to Thibet and the
English minister to Sweden. Sir Rem
nell ROdd. has also secured him favors
from Lord Kitchener In Khartoum.
DIR. Hedin will be absent about three
years.
The rat war Of 1905 has been suc-
cessful. Not less than 79,42S rats have
been killed this year and since the
war started the causalties have been
124,367. In the meantime Stockholm
Is gradually getting rid of a superfluous
number Of rats. American cities. es-
pecially New York and Chicago, would
dc well to emulate the Stockholm
precedent In this respect.
Name Hammarberg. associate edi-
tor Of the Goteborg's Misunderstanding,
died last month at his villa Hagen"
rear Sundsvall. He was born in
1865. Owing to iii health Mr.. Ham
marberg has not been able to do any
active newspaper work during the
past two years.
Sweden's military budget for next
year calls for an appropriation of 49,
749. 800 crowns. Of which nearly IN
third Is for the navy. The Norwegian
budget is estimated at only 1851, 200
crowns. Of which about o%ne-fourth is
destined for the navy.
Duke Nioholaus. who recently
passed away, was a brother Of the
queen of Sweden. He was the young
er step-brother of Grand Duke Adolph
Of Luxembourg, and was born in 1882.
Prince Gustaf's father and mother
in-law, the drke and duchess Of Con-
naught, arrived at Stockholm Oct. 10,
accompanied by their youngest daugh-
ter, the princess Victoria Patricia.
The three Scandinavian countries
have at present 100000 Lutherans
and Finland has 100000 including
the Baltic provinces and In the cities.