Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1916-01-13


OF the counsry's relations to the great
war. with special reference to Ger
many and Russia. When you arrive
at Stockholm" he says. you are bound
to see number ef weii.to-do Russians
and Germans living In the best hotels,
frequenting the finest restaurants and
cafes, promenading the beautiful
streets and boulevards, going and com
ing from the seashore resorts and al.
together enjoying themselves In this
quaint and attractive city Then you
are bound to notice the many business
men and government representatives
OF both Russia and Germany busy
purchasing all sorts OF goods I'm swe.
den. from fOodstafs to ammunition,
machinery for manufacturing gums,
metals and whatnot. Ii is true that
the Swedish government has placed
an embargo on "a number of articles
just now, but before that millions Of
dollars worth OF goods used to leave
the country for both Russia and Ger
many. Sweden Is fully modified, aud
soldiers In their gray uniforms with
blue trimmings and soft three-cornered
hats make a fine appearance and are
seen all over. The numerous bridges
are guarded by the military. and barb
wired entauglements are seen all along
the railways Boden is a veritabie
arsenal and the main military point.
Leaving Stockholm for Russia you
pass the entire length of the country
and after two days riding i'm COM
Portable train you reach Rarungi,
small station with few wooden
houses, resembling q mining town or
rather new settlement In northwest
ern Canada. From Karungi which.
until few months ago. was the last
station before reaching Finland, we
went by auto to Haparanda, dis
lance OF seventeen miles. Karungi
and Haparanda arc now joined by
rail- SO that the automobile or wagon
routes are abandoned. The most in.
teresting sight In Haparanda was the
enormous quantity Of parcels placed
on large barges coming from and GO
ing 10 Russia These were the parcel
post packakes addressed to war pris.
oners I'm both countries. Thousands
Of such packages neatly done up in
| canvas, or In wooden boxes. bearing
inscriptions In either Russian or Ger
man. could be seen on the large
barges. auto trucks and wagons
glanced at some and found that they
were addressed to soldiers, officers
| and doctors. The parcels In question
were handled by the Swedish postal
authorities and guarded by the sol
diers OF the Swedish army. All day
long the loading and unloading OF
packages was going on from barges
TO auto trucks. and vice versa. When
In Russia, | happened TO be In the
| cuatomhouse and watched how each
of these parcels was opened aud care
fully examined by the Russian custom.
house officials Each article was taken
| out, looked at. and replaced In the
| box. or case, or whatever 1t might be,
| OF the many different articles one
| could SEQ the most of them were
| socks. shirts. handkerchiefs, cigars,
| sardines and chocolate. Letters or
books were usually taken out OF the
packages and not returned On my
| return to Sweden, | again spent a
whole day In Haparanda, but this
| time Witnessed the exchange of In.
valid prisoners OF war They arrived
| from both Russia and Germany and
presented most pathetic sight. FIRE.
quently among them were seen men
| without legs or arms and some scarce
| ly able to walk However. despite
their heavy Affections these men
| seemed happy. doubtless becaa se they
| were returning home after 50 long a
period OF imprisonment and conine-
ment i'm foreign land. Two Red
Cross hospital trains were lined up
on the tracks before the new little
picturesque station of Haparanda, Sol.
diers with fixed hayonets were guard.
ing the passages to the station within
q hundred feet and the entire station
was surrounded with an improvised
wire fence No one was allowed to
come near the station and we were
told that only an hour before cur
train was scheduled to leave would We
be- permitted to enter the waiting
room. The Swedish soldiers and Red
Cross nurses did all in their power to
comfort these unfortunate stricken in
yaiids who were returning TO their
respective countries. Trainloads OF
these manned soldiers We're to be seen
In lornea on the Finnish side and In
Haparanda On the Swedish. Special
: floating hospitals carried the invalidz
: from Sweden into Finland and vice
versa. The Russian invalids we're met
In Tornea by the Russian officials
while the Germans and Austrians were
taken In charge by the German Red
Cross nurses and doctors at Hapar
4 anda." ..'
= The Ford peace party. which stoppet
at Stockholm Oh Its tour of Europe
was given warmer welcome by thu
+ people of Sweden than was accordes
I them by the people OF Norway. Th'
, spirit OF skepticism. which was q
T. apparent at Christiania, manifested II