The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1908-03-27

SWEDEN.
BY MARTIN W. oDLANp.

SWEDEN.
Commander P. c. Ahlgren is dead
at the age of 100 years.
A man who desires to remain un-
known has donated $4,000 crowns to
the Rcd Cross Society of Stockholm.
The steamship rates from Sweden
to America, which have been very low
during the winter, have been raised to
the old level.
There are protests against the
kings proposed act to elevate Mr..
Raj, a member of the riksdag, to the
rank of nobility. and against making
the explorer. Sven Hedin, baron and
his excelleacy, Mr.. Lindmann, count
Nils Fosgren, Il barber of Eksjo,
famous as the man who first proposed
sanitariums for consumptives in
Sweden, is dead. 1t is pathetic that
he fell a victim to the dread disease
against which he took UP arms, and
was himself denied entrance to a san
atorium after he had contracted the
disease.
Mr. Paine has introduced a meas
tlre in the riksdag making the issuing
of death certificates a more serious
matter than has been the case in the
past. A Swedish writer, in comment.
ing on this, humorously says that Mr..
Paine wants to protect pastors
against the mistake of conducting
funeral services over sand men,
A vivid picture Of the distress now
prevailing in Lapland was recently
put before the government of Sweden
by a farmer from the stricken coun-
try, who came to Stockholm for the
special purpose Of letting the authori-
ties know the exact facts in the case.
So great is the scarcity of food in
some places that the people cook
moss soup.
The controversy between Sweden
and Russia over the proposed fortifi-
cation of the Aaland islands by Rus
STA continues to be the burning topic
of the day throughout Sweden, and
the press Of England, France and 9TH
err countries has devoted considerable
attention to the same subject. The
latest account of the situation, as
viewed in Stockholm, is found in the
following dispatch:
Increasing excitement attends the
discussion as to the future of the
Aaland islands. The news reached
Sweden that Russia regards the
treaty whereby tile st. Petersburg
government bound itself not to fortify
this archipelago, or any part OF it, as
dissolved by the rupture of the union
between Sweden and Norway. The
Swedish government refuses to ac-
cede to any such view It's position is
that Russia solemnly engaged with
Great Britain and France in March,
1856, neither to fortify the Aaland
islands nor maintain there any mill
tary or naval establishment and that
this engagement vas absolutely unaf-
fected by the dissolution of the Swed-
ish-Norwegian partnership.
Sweden did not sign that treaty,
but Great Britain, France and Russia
did. The Stockholm government re-
CARDS its continuance as vital not only
to the security of Stockholm and the
whole of the Swedish kingdom, but to
free access to two-thirds of the Baltic
sea.
Russian guns lowering over this
capital from the Aaland islands, only
twenty-six miles distant. and Russian
sea power brought so near are condi-
tions which the Swedes cannot con-
template without the greatest resent
ment and alarm. 1t would menace the
Kingdoms trade with it's Northern
provinces, practically shut up the
CULTS of Bothnia and Finland and Gre
ate so terrible danger to this coun-
try that Sweden would be forced to
convert itself into an armed camp and
u uoh IIS pSoPlC uhuSl q UuluCIl vi
ornaments.
Russia now talks freely about its
sovereign rights in the Aaland islands,
forgetting that the Slav Colossus took
them forcibly away from Sweden-in
other words, compelled Sweden to
cede them in 1909 after a desperate
struggle by the Swedish negotiators
to retain them for this kingdom.
"The Swedish people are eager for
the details OF the negotiations going
on among the great powers concern
ing Swedish territorial integrity. For
eign Minister Trolle. who is taking
part in these negotiations, speaks re-
assuringly in the riksdag, but the
country wants to know just what is
being done. If the powers are to guar
antee Swedish political and territorial
integrity. this guaranty will never,
with the consent of the Swedish peo-
pie, restore to Russia the right to do
as she pleases with the Aaland archi.
pelago."
A committee has recommended that