The Monte Vista journal., 1907-03-16
CITY LONG IN PAWN
SWEDEN. NOT REoEEMINo WIS.
MAR, IT BECOMES GERMAN.
Pledged by King Gustavus ~. for Loan
Of . Million Ooliars-consid.
cred 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 4 Ger.
man city. 1t was pledged by King
Gustavus ". for loan Of Sl,000.0 900,
and the king OF Sweden having failed
passed to the duke of Mecklenburs
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
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 fortitica.
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 II was
not surprising that the Swedes tired
At last Of their white elephant. So in
the reign Of the incompetent and ex'
travagant Gustavis ~, with territory
lost to the French in one war, with
Finland lost to Russia, with defeat In
q 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 l. That person not
unnaturxlly resented the insult and
threatened dire things. Finally his
threats crystallized into a demand for
an enormous indemnity. The money
had to be raised ut once. The duchy
Of Mecklenbur& advanced l.:5S.0OO
reichsthaler and took wismar, Neuk'
loster and the Island Of Poel a. Sc
curity.
Under the conditions of the loan the
city Of Wismar and the two govern
ments were to remain In pledge foI
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.
A further provision. however. Of the
loan vas that should Sweden fail tc
take any notice whatever Of the ex
piration Of the time the contract would
b thereby renewed for another loo
years. The sum which Sweden would
have ha- to pay II she wanted to claim
Wlsmar and the two government dis
tricts 10 figured rs amounting to e?I.
oo0. 900. and this alone. quite apart
from considerations OF policy. opsr
ated. doubtless. as u bar against the
assertion Of her rights.
II will be seen that while the imme
diate business transaction dates bach
but about 100 years. any diplomatic
squabbies over the city new would
have to revert to the surrenders and
srmistices OF tho Thirty Years war
lslS.%s. And the fact that heretofore
Wismar has been Swedish territory
explains why Germany has not forti
Ned the port. which Is considered the
finest hnrbor site OF the entire Baltic
coast. Under the Swedish Danisf
treaty fortincations were not TO b'
built and when the duchy Of Mecklen
burg took over the place the stipula
stnn Hss ranewed