The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-09-03
News scattered In the Father
hand and Elsewhere.
SWEDISH SHIpPING GROWS
Direct sfne to the United States One
OF Greatest Drawbacks at the
Present Time.
+ :. :. $3.50. = = :. = :. :. (. !. i. !. I.
= SWEDEN. =


= SWEDEN. =
= = :. ... = :. :. :. :. - :. = !. !. +
Ten wears have not vet passed since
the Swedish mercantile navy began
10 develop TO the extent that regular
lines of trade could be established
10 countries beyond Europe Up to
the bexinbing of this century the
Swedish ship owners had confined
themselves to tramps principally In
the Baltic trade and regular lines to
the countries i'm close vicinity TO our
own: in fact Sweden had up to then
practically no steamers large enough
Tor transatlantic trade. However. in
1904 the Transatlantic Steamship
company of Gothenburg ordered the
two first boats for a proposed line to
South Africa. and these were deliver
ed and the line inaugurated the same
year. Shortly Afterwards the Norfst-
jernan Steamship company commenc-
ed its regular line TO South American
ports. Since then regular lines have
been started by Swedish shipping
companies TO the Far East. Australia.
the Gull, OF Mexico and to the Levant.
so that By now Sweden has regular
lines oftits own to all the principal
parts of the world, with one important
exception--the United States OF
America. This is all the more sur
prisimg in view of the fact that more
than two million Swedes and Swedish
descendants have found their second
home in America. The reason is,
however, that for the transatlantic
lines mentioned above cargo boats, or
in any case boats with cargo carrying
as the principal object. have been
required. but for the service between
the old and new country this is not
sufficient There is a big trade be-
tween Sweden and the United States
in various commodities, which of
course could be served by cargo lin
ers. hut this is not the main object.
There Is the immense passenger and
mail traffic between the two cOun.
tries and for this nothing but the
very best class of liners can be used.
TO get such vessels is an undertaking
OF the present transatlantic steam
ship lines and n consequent greater
capital outlay, which might serve as
an explanation for the sad fact that
this most important line has been
neglected so long. If the lack OF this
important link i'm the connection be-
tween the two countries can thus be
explained IL is a question as to wheth
or il cam be excused. but one thing
Is certaimiand that is that no excuse
can be found for a continued neglect
OF this important question. important
not only for the individual traveller,
but for the millions Of Swedes on both
sides Of the Atlantic.
:. !. :.
or Henry Goddard Leach's Scan
iinaviau and the Scandinavians" the
Scotsman OF Edinburgh says: Scan
dinavia enjoys at the present time a
distinction of which Mr. Leachs in
structive and readable book properly
enough says nothing; il lies beyond
the zone of war. The book reviews
the history of the three countries, and
while not insensible to the fact that
they have been drawn closer together
than ever by the hostilities raging
near their borders, occupies itself
with a Roticeably intelligent and APP
preCiativey account of Scandinavian
activities in the domain of peace, in
industry and education, in art. litera-
ture andssoience, in femininism-if that
can be called a peaceful activity-and
in plans. projects and devices of social
betternIent. IL has a good equipment
OF Photographic illustrations, and is
throughout made interesting by ITS
sympathetic insight into the tempera-
ment of the Northman and its we'll
reasoned enthusiasm for the Scandi-
navian people, their ways and their
ideals"
= 1. :.
Munsey's Magazine for July pre-
sents a leading article entitled Scan
dinavia," p. splendidly illustrated and
ably written by Svetozar Jonjoroff.
The author maintains that new pow
er has been formed In Europe by the
league of the three Northern nations,
a coalition that must be taken into
accountIin all future estimates of POI
Iitical and military possibilities. Its
area of $4,000 square miles exceeds
that ofIlany country i'm Europe with
the exception of Russia. The author.
who is a writer on international top
les and an editor. is a Bulgarian by
birth and educated in America.
- + =
A report recently emanated from
England that Sweden and Russia had
entered upon a treaty mutually ac-
knowledging the financial, commercial
and Industrial interests of their re-
spectivt governments" The report
Is authoritatively denied in Sweden.
II may possibly have originated in the
negotiatiuns OF the two governments
with a ,riew TO uniting the Swedish
and Russian-Finnish railrosd systems
by a connecting link to be construct
ed south or Haparanda.