Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-08-27

auestlng the making OF a special CONNER
cial and customs treaty with Sweden. a
similar petition was handed in IN July,
1904. but since then other wishes have been
| expressed. The present petition Is signed
by sixty-nine chambers Of commerce and
hfty-seven Industrial associations. The
petition proposes. among other things, a
reduction OF the customs duties on many
| Swedish commodities which are largely inn
ported into Germany, including paving
stone. joinery products and timber The
petition points out the Importance OF these
Swedish commodities in the economy OF
Germany and suggests the negotiation OF
reduced Swedish customs on similar COM
modlties imported from Germany into
Sweden.
At the great international congress Of
Good Templars lately held at Belfast, Ire
land, a swede Mr.. Edward wawrnsky
Of Stockholm, was elected president OF the
International order OF Good Templars.
He is director Of an insurance company
and member of the Riksdag. II we take
into consideration that the Good Templar
order in Sweden has a membership OF 1884,
4S4, while all the Good Templar orders OF
the world only have a total membership
Of 6l5,OOO It cannot DE wondered at that
Sweden should be recognized by choosing
from her membership a president for the
international order. The new president
has also spent much time travelling and
studying in America.
queer Incident ut GOthenburg.
At the kings last visit to Gothenburg,
the largest city In Sweden next to stock
holm, flags were displayed from nearly
every house in the city in honor Of our
aged and much beloved monarch. All con-
sulates of foreign powers We'd with each
other in producing the most elaborate and
costly decorations as expressions of sym
pathy for the Swedish king-all but ono,
namely, the American consulate. A feeling
Of disappointment, mingled with conster-
nation, filled the hearts of the loyal swedes,
and the King cast Disappearing eyes on
the empty Flagstaff of the American lega-
ton. Not a thread of bunting or other
decoration could be discovered on the whole
house where the American consulate was
situated. What could it mean? Had Presl-
dent Roosevelt forbidden the consul to
display his flag at the visit OF the king?
Was this to be regarded as a demonstra-
ton against Sweden in the present crisis?
No, this was thought almost too bad to
believe. At last the explanation was
found-the American consul in Gothenburg
was a Norwegian by birth.
This incident has aroused a great deal
of very bad feeling throughout the whole
country. A leading Gothenburg paper
says, among other things: THE fact that
Consul Bergh is a Norwegian by birth
ought not to have anything to do with
this matter He should remember that he
is an American consul in a Swedish city.
and this being the case It ought not to
make any difference whether he was born
in Norway Madagascar or Patagonia.
There is something called common, simple,
popular decency, which a consul must pos
sess. no matter where he is born"
In another paper the next day Consul
Bergh defends himself by saying that he
never thought Of demonstrating how could
any sensible person for a moment believe
him to be such a fool. The whole matter
was due to oversight His clerk was en-
joying a vacation and he was consequently
so overwhelmed with work that he could
rot possibly find time to read the news
papers, and therefore he had no knowledge
of the arrival OF the king.
Another Side TO story.
This episode reminds us OF a similar
case. Mr. Victor E. Nelson Of California,
ex-consul at Bergen, Norway, was a native
OF Gothenburg, Sweden, and a gentleman,
sui Bergh of Gothenburg, but he was a
Swede by birth, and was appointed Ameri-
can consul in a Norwegian city. What
happened2 Why, blood is thicker than
water, as the saying goes. and while he
executed his duties as consul ably and
satisfactorily he was compelled to resign
his position because he did not please the
Norwegians. A feeling of dislike was en-
gendered by the mere fact that he was
Swede by birth, and this feeling grew and
became so acute that the good people Of
Bergen hardly knew anything too mean
to say about Mr.. Nelson. He was perse-
cuted in every imaginable way, and dis
reputable stories were published In the
newspapers about him. He was even ac-
cused of embezzling funds entrusted in his
care by the American government and in
tended for pensioners, or something similar
and the fact that he secured certificate
to the contrary from the State department
and proved himself entirely innocent did
not help matters in any way. He had to
resign. Now he has brought a legal ac-
ton against the New York Herald paris
edition. for libel The first hearing will