Fergus County Democrat., 1916-10-05


That Whenever Sweden Has Taken
Any Step Dispieasina One or An
other Belligerent Power Her Action
Have Been Made by Rumanians.
siderations Of the Kingdoms Own
Necessities and Not for Any Parti-
san Reason.
STOCKHOLM, Oct. 4-(via London.
8 y. m.) Sweden proclaimed her at
tltndc Of neutrality at the very out
Ereak Of the war. All her actions
since that time have borne out that
proclamation. and all rumors or accu-
sations that she has done, or intends
to do anything inconsistent with this
attitude are due either to failure to
comprehend her situation or to some
less creditablc reason. And whencv-
or Sweden has takcr anv step dis
pleasing one or another belligerent
power her action has been dictated
solely by considerations of the king
doms own necessities and Of its fu-
tnre welfare, and not by any parti-
san reasons. We hope sincerely that
the belligerents will not make 1t i'm.
possible for us to maintain this at
titude unto the end
This In effect, is the declaration
Of the prime minister OF Sweden, DR..
X. II. l.. jold made to the
| rnr t.nu M nd Of tho AuunptutAI
in the only interview he has granted
to any foreign journalist since tho
war began.
Throughout the interview the pre-
mier continued to lay stress on his
government desires to Eollow un-
swervingly the policy OF bipartisan
ship thus far followed.
The premier referred to certain
measures of the belligerent powers
mentioned In the official communicar
tion issued on September 20. after
the conference of the Scandinavian
ministers at Christlania. particularly
the destruction OF neutral prizes at
sea, interference with neutral ship
ping and the blacklist Sweden finds
itself In harmony with America in
It's protest against this measure.
"The blacklist Is Objectionable"
said the premier, mot only because
of it's present operation but because
II will affect tho future of the vic
Tins. We feel that It constitutes an
unjust attempt to deprive certain Of
our citizens of their rights, and we
do not like to see any Swedish sub
ject lose any of his rights as citi-
zen unless by Judgment OF the courts.
1--WE are glad to know that the
United States has taken steps In this
matter and we have welcomed other
steps by that government in the de-
fense of the rights of neutrals and
for the upholding Of the rules of in
ternational law ! may perhaps say
that already before our conference
Mt Christiania we had striven to keep
feeling with the United States in re-
gard to action in this direction.
"The Christiania communiaue lays
stress on the desirability OF more
extensive collaboration OF neutrals
We hope that the traditional politics
of tho United States will not prevent
Il in the present exceptional circum-
stances from interesting itself In such
| collaboration.
1T is hard for Americans to realize
our position" continued his excel
lency america lies so far away
| from the scene of the conflict and Is
so great and strong economically that
1t has not yet seriously felt the re-
suit of the wars interference with its
normal activities. But the time Will
come when America will feel It, too.
Just now the material advantages may
| outweigh greatly the disadvantages
but 1t Is impossible that the greater
part of the rest OF the world should
continue indefinitely in the present
unnatural and chaotic condition with
out America suffering also.
1--WE in Sweden are suffering and
have been suffering these disadvan-
tages almost from the start. Upon
! what, In what manner, is our proper
industrial davelopment to proceed il
wc arc hold 70 supplies Of materials
more or less arbitrarily fixed, and
! at all events, inadequate?
Restrictions which are felt in COM
paratively small measure by the great
America can strike at our very vi
tails. We are convinced that in our
situation the Americans who appre-
ciate as much as we do the indepen-
dence of a country and the legal right
OF it's citizens, would feel and act ex-
actly as we do
Premier Hammarskjod dismissed
lightly the whole crop of rumors
which spring up from time to time
to the effect that Sweden is on the
point of joining the war and dozens
of similar tales. When asked for
an explanation of these rumors, he re-
piled clearly:
"Neurasthenia, or intentions that l
don't know