Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1916-07-06

In this column to the feelings aroused
In Sweden by the action Of the Rus
sian government In terrifying the
| Aland island. In statement at Wash
ington a few days ago w. A. p. Eken-
| gren, Swedish minister to the United
States. declared that the Swedish
government will take no action against
| the military encroachments Of Russia,
but will await the conclusion Of peace
for a settlement. The Aland islands
which are but 30 miles from Stock
| holm, have been transformed into a
Russian naval base during the last
| six weeks, and II Is reported the Pc
| trograd government In erecting for
| tresses on the Islands. This action In
contrary to the convention drawn up
by Russia with Ghyat Britain and
| France In 1855. and ahiie there are
some citizens suspicious, of RnAsia's
action, the government he. least has
| full confidence that the mafs'-r will be
| settled amicably at the conclusion OF
the war;" said Minister Ekengren
1--WE are enjoying friendlier relations
with Russia than we have In n de~ade
At the opening Of the war both Rus.
cia and Great Britain created hostile
feeling In Sweden by sinking our yes.
sells and selling our mail boass, but
the two governments sincs have
agreed to many Of our claims ind the
Ill feeling practically has died out.
Nevertheless, Sweden has suffered
economic losses as the result of the
war on our trade and business inter.
ests have been hampered. Because
Of the Russian fertilization of the
Aland islands and the placing Of mines
throughout the Baltic sea, our trade
with our large territory along the Cult
OF Bothnia Is practically at stand.
still, and the lumber and steel indus.
tries In the province of Norreland are
stngnant. The allies already have
agreed to many OF our claims for dam.
| ages, and peace In Europe liz expected
to see complete settlement of the
others. While the Russian fortifica.
items on the Aland islands are con.
| trary to treaties, the encroachments
probably are only temporary, and
Sweden will take the matter up al
the close OF the war"
All Sweden Is profiting by the war,
writes Stockholm correspondent.
| The government white book issued
| Just before Christmas on Measures
| Taken During the War;" reports that
the economic disloeation quickly
passed, and mentions as IN instance
of the war boom that the state rail.
road earnings In November, 1915. were
three times as great as those In No.
vember, 1914 The cause OF this Ia
Sweden's position between Russia and
western Europe. During the winter
| Archangel Is frozen port. and during
the summer the narrow gauge railroad
from Archangel south can carry only
n fraction Of the goods that Russia
needs. The new railway to the Ice
free port Of Kola is not ready. Every.
thing that Russia does not get by way
OF Siberia she gets by way of Sweden
Sweden's railroad rolling stock In not
/ oaNluatN Abt ttS IHiS IItikHt
traffic means the expenditure I'm Swe-
den of large sums of English and Rus
sian money; II has brought here hun,
dreds Of agents, forwarders and in.
tcrmediaries, who spend large sums.
Also here. and In the other Scandi.
navian states, are spies, propaganda
| agents, and arrangers of contraband
/ deals, with big sums at their com.
| mand. The German agent, Baron Lind.
ner. was sent here with ST,5Oo,OO0
this money was lodged In a Stockholm
bank. and most of II was spent. Stock.
buildings of kind the modest city
never saw before. Last winter were
opened five picture palaces of a kind
formerly seen only In Berlin. Some
Of these buildings are lined with
marble. In the Kungstradgard street
the big Enskild bank has built new
home on heavy Berlin lines. This
bank belongs to the multimillionairs
family of Wallenhcrg, richest In Swe
den. Chief Of the family for wealth
and brains Is the Wallenberg who Is
Sweden's foreign minister. Another
hank has built marble palace with q
Venetian Gothic gallery.
The trade Journal, Atfarsvarlden
representing the best business inter
ests In Sweden, says II Is time 70,
the Swedes to realize that the out
come of the war cannot be favorable
to the central powers. The food aues
ton, says the newspaper, will decide
the war. and II declares that the sac
situation In Germany Is responsible,
. for the reckless offensive at veriur
and the recent attempt to win a nava
battle" The article says: Swedish
conceptions as to how peace viii b.
concluded have not taken sufficient,
into consideration the Importance o
the campaign of starvation agains
Germany. Even If II II possible +,
train the population to vesetahl,
diet. this cannot be done unless Their
Is plenty of bread. butter and egg
! and turnips. but not even potatoe
can be had In quantities the people re