The Springfield herald., 1907-03-01
CITY LONG IN PAWN
SWEDEN. NOT REoEEMING WIS
MAR. 1T BECOMES GERMAN.
Pledged by King Gustavus ~. for Loan
of a Million Dollars-Consid-
ered Finest Harbor Site
on Baltic Coast.

London.-Wismar. port OF $4,000
people on the Baltic. situated in the
German duchy of Mecklenburg-
Schwerin. but belonging legally to
Sweden, has recently become a Ger
man city. 1t was pledged by King
Gustavus Nv. for a loan of $1.OOO.OOO,
and the king of Sweden having failed
to redeem 1t within the century 1t has
passed to the duke of Mecklenburg-
Schwerin. from whose ancestors the
money was borrowed.
In the early part of the eighteenth
century the most powerful enemy OF
Sweden, after the destruction. OF the
Hanseatic league, kind OF trade
union established by certain German
cities for safety and commercial pur-
poses, captured Wismar and razed the
Notifications Afterward peace was
declared and the city reverted to
Sweden. but with the provision that
she should not rebuild the fortifica-
tions. The place thus lost its
strength and importance and became
instead an element of weakness to the
Swedes Its great sea trade was
ruined and Its inland trade lost.
Under these circumstances it was
not surprising that the Swedes tired
at last OF their white elephant. So In
the reign of the incompetent and ex-
travagant Gustavis W., with territory
lost to the French in one war, with
Finland lost to Russia. with defeat In
a war against Norway. the Swedes
seized an opportunity to relieve them
selves of the burden of possession.
The direct opportunity was given
by the cancellation by Gustavus OF his
engagement to the daughter of Duke
Frederick Franz |. That person not
unnaturally resented the insult and
threatened dire things. Finally his
threats crystallized into demand for
an enormous indemnity. The money
had to be raised at once. The duchy
of Mecklenburg advanced 1.25S.OOO
reichsthaler and took Wismar, Neuk-
loster and the Island of Poel as Sc
curity.
Under the conditions of the loan the
city of Wismar and the two govern
ments were to remain in pledge for
100 years. At the end of that time
Sweden might claim and obtain the
pledged city and land by paying back
the original loan. with three per cent.
compound interest.
further provision. however, of the
loan was that should Sweden fail to
take any notice whatever of the ex-
piration of the time the contract would
be thereby renewed for another 100
years. The sum which Sweden would
have ha- to pay II she wanted to claim
Wismar and the two government dis
tricts is figured as amounting to $27.-
100000. and this alone. quite apart
from considerations of policy. oper-
ated. doubtless. as bar against the
assertion of her rights.
1t will be seen that while the imme-
diate business transaction dates back
but about 100 years. any diplomatic
squabbles over the city now would
have to revert to the surrenders and
armistices of the Thirty Years war
1618-4S. And the fact that heretofore
Wismar has been Swedish territory
explains why Germany has not forti-
fled the port, which is considered the
finest harbor site of the entire Baltic
coast. Under the Swedish-Danish
treaty fortifications were not to be
built and when the duchy of Mecklen-
burg took over the place the stipula-
tion was renewed.