The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1908-04-23
SWEDEN

The people of Sweden are looking
forward with much interest TO the
marriage of their prince, Wilhelm H.,
with the Grand Duchess Maria Paw
Iona Of Russia, which is to take place
April 81. 1t is reported that there is
a hitch in the preparations for the
notable event, the bide-to-be's aunt
and guardian, Grand Duchess Eliza
beth. Directing to the presence at the
wedding of Maria's father, Grand Duke
Paul OF Russia. whom she hates. The
future Swedish princess stands by her
father, insisting that he shall not be
sighted.
The body of Emanuel Swedenborg.
the great Swedish seer. was exhumed
ut London April Z and sent to Sweden
on board of Sweden's finest warship,
the Fylgia. A dispatch from the Brit
ish metropolis gives the following ac-
count Of the interesting event:
"The Swedish government request
ed the elimination and surrender OF
the body and the British government
assented. The Swedish minister to
Great Britain, Count Wrangel, Pastor
Lindskog and officers from the Fyigia,
attended the exhumation. The leaden
shell of the coffin was found intact. 1t
was opened and in it were the bones
of the famous author and a heap Of
dust. The shell was then encased In
a new coffin, placed on the altar table
and covered with wreaths sent by
Swedish societies and other admirers
Of ~Swedenborg. Pastor Lindskog con-
Quoted a service in the English and
Swedish languages.
Among those present were men,
bers OF the Swedish legation here,
members of the Swedish colony of
London, representatives Of various
Swedish societies and Freehere
~Leyonhjem, a descendant of Sweden
borg"
Sweden seems likely to have a rail-
way merger" or trust. AS is well
known, Sweden has a national railway
system, but there are also many pri-
vate lines, some of considerable i'm
%portance, such as the Falun-G othen-
burg line, the Stockholm-Vesteras
line, the Ge1e-Dala line, and others,
connecting important commercial
centers; and effort is being made to
bring about a cooperation among
these leading private lines. If this is
! successful, the merger" will be able
to compete with the national railroad
in certain districts.
A rather unfortunate episode that
has had a tendency to emphasize I'M
duly the fact that there is a lack Of
amity and good will between Sweden
and Norway, is the refusal of the
Swedish Anthropological society to is
SUE the Vega medal to Capt. Road
Amundsen, the ~discoverer of the
Northwest passage. 1t was confident
ly expected that by reason of his
great geographical and scientific
{ achievements, Capt. Amundsen would
be honored with this medal; no medal
was awarded at all. DR.. Torild Wulff
addressed an inquiry to the directors
of the society, asking why the captain
did not receive the medal. He stated
he could not believe that politics
would influence the actions Of the di-
rectors.
Prof. Anderson, a member of the
board of directors, answered that the
medal was withheld from Capt. Am
undsen because Of his conduct after
his return from the polar regions. 1t
was well known, said Prof. Anderson,
that the late King Oscar gave Amund-
sen considerable assistance when he
started on his expedition, but this the
explorer had forgotten when he re-
turned home, making no acknowledge
ment of gratitude to his benefactor.
On that account the society felt that
the medal ought not to be awarded to
Capt. Amundsen.
Alexander N~ansen, the legal repre-
sentative of Capt. Amundsen at Chris
tiania, issued a denial On behalf of his
client, now absent in America, of the
charge made by Prof. Anderson. He
says that Amundsen sent several tele-
grams to King Oscar, on his arrival at
the first telegraph station, but that he
had learned that they did not reach
their destination. The captain made
an attempt to get an audience with
King Oscar or Crown Prince Gustaf,
to explain matters, but was unsuccess-
full.
The refusal of the anthropological
society TO award the Vega medal to
Amundsen has aroused much COM
ment and criticism in both countries.