Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1915-07-08
SCANDINAVIAN News
SUMMARY OF IMPORTANT HAP.
PENINos IN FAR OFF
NORTHWEST.
ITEMS FROM THE OLD HOME
Resume Of the Most Important Events
In Sweden, Norway and Denmark
OF Interest to the seandlnavians
In America.
SWEDEN.

Formal notice that United States
mail pouches destined for Sweden had
been broken open in England and their
contents tempered with, was submit
ted to the state department by w. A.
F. Ekengren, the Swedish minister,
with a request for appropriate action.
The minister called at the depart
ment and delivered to Secretary Ian
sing letter. written on instructions
from his government. reciting in
stances of interference with mail for
Sweden and pointing out that such
acts were in violation Of the provisions
Of the world postal convention asd OF
other treaty stipulations.
The letter stated that the seals OF
mail bags were broken. that letters
were opened and censored and that
one registered unit was retained.
Two specific cases were mentioned,
one involving mail sent on the Ameri.
can steamer New York. when she left
on May 20. and the other pouches car
ried by the British steamer Adriatic.
which sailed on May ~.
In the former case 1t was asserted
that out Of 20 registered letters and
packages, seven arrived In Sweden
opened. while the greater part OF the
other mail had been censored. OF the
Adriatic's mail which arrived in
Gothenburg on June 8, several letters
were said to have been opened and one
registered unit to have been retained.
Whether the piece OF mail matter
shown by comparison Of receipts to
be missing was an official communica-
ton has not been revealed. but 1t is
known that diplomatic correspondence
was sent from Washington on the
Adriatic.
As the mails were alleged to have
been opened in England and not on the
high seas. interesting legal questions
have been raised which made 1t seem
doubtful to many officials whether the
United States could do more than
transmit the complaint to Great Brit.
ain for consideration.
Inasmuch as cable messages passing
through belligerent countries are sub
ject to censorship the view taken in
official quarters was that private let
tiers passing through these nations
were liable to the same risks II they
contained military information.
Although the Swedish minister's pro-
test was the first to come from diplo-
matte source, 1t was stated officially
at the state department that since the
war began there had been many COM
plants that private mail to and from
the United States had been tamDered
with while passing through belligerent
countries. Nothing has been done by
the belligerent governments to remedy
the situation. e9t
The government of Sweden has
placed mines in Swedish waters and
has taken other military precautions
as q result of which American and
other vessels navigating those waters
must observe special rules prescribed
by the government Of Sweden for their
safety and protection.
The state department in Washington
received from the American minister
in Stockholm and made public the text
of the royal decree issued by the
Swedish government concerning the
special measures to be observed by
vessels navigating certain waters.
In the case of vessels that were not
In Swedish ports when the decree went
into effect on May Z. the time was pro-
longed to June Is and the Information
received by the state department is
that 1t will be prolonged. with respect
to such vessels. until the vessels reach
Swedish ports.
"The anger of the public and the
press is rising daily over German at
lacks on neutral shipping" says
Reuters Stockholm correspondent.
Newspapers of all shades of opin-
ion are protesting theoretically
against the capture of the Swedish
steamer forster and the sinking of
the Swedish steamer Verdandi. both
of which carried certificates that they
had nothing aboard which the Germans
could consider contraband. Some of
the newspapers are discussing the
question whether, In addition to pro-
tests. the Swedish government should
not consider adopting some form Of
reprisal"
nbo ,t1x-1r GaI1a nf on,tharx, C-a1a,
were In poor condition as late as June
I. The grass on the wild meadows
was also short on account OF lack of
moisture.
Selma Lagerlof wrote Christmas
story for the newspapers with the UNI
Outstanding that the proceeds were to
go to the children's colony near Stock
holm. The amount raised in this way
was almost $4,000. which is looked
upon as a fine result.
A soldier in the Sodermanland regi-
ment was given leave Of absence long
enough to 60 home and get married.
In the night after the wedding he took
sick of brain fever and was taken to
the Gnesta hospital. where he soon
died.
The belligerents have come to an
agreement to exchange captives unfit
for military service. They were to
pass through Sweden. But there is a
hitch in the transportation. Sweden
refused to carry the passengers
through districts where there are no
railroads. She offered to take them by
way of Lulea and Uleaborg. bpt the
Russian authorities did not agree to
this