Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1917-09-05
SWEDEN.

Refusal of the United States TO
grant passports to the delegates of
the international socialist conference
at Stockholm for the discussion of
peace terms has amazed and halted
the leaders OF that movement. A
Hjalmar Branting, leader of the Sean
dInavian socialist committee arrang-
ing the convention, denounces Ameri-
cas- attitude. This is declaration
of war against all preliminary peace
work. he says. But the military
forces alone cannot end the war. y
must be ended by work within the bel
ligerent nations. and the socialist is
the natural bearer Of this work. De-
spite refusal of passports. the peace
work will continue without working
for any special group of bellgerents.
The leaders have been accused of be-
ing first German. then entente agents.
hut internationalism follows its ideals,
the ideals OF humanity. The refusal
Of passports will lead to a rupture be-
tween the governments concerned and
the socialist parties which have been
determined to be represented In the
conference The decision may lead
10 fnr-reachng consequences. II is
more than doubtful whether this pass
port refusal will not turn out TO be
grave political mistake AS to how II
will affect the Stockholm conference,
the only certainty is that the confer
ence will not be abandoned"
Or. JakOb Billstrom, who has in
spected the establishments of the cap
lives Of war that are interned In
Switzerland, found that drunkenness
prevailed to an alarming degree among
them. and he has urged the temper
ance people Of Sweden to have trans
lations Of Swedish temperance publ
cations distributed among the 10000
German and French soldiers informed
In Switzerland.
The average heat for the month OF
June was record-breaker for the
period covering the past 100 years,
the weather bureau Of Stockholm hay
ing been In operation since the year
1856. The average daily temperature
was Gao degrees f., while the next
highest, that Of June. 1896. was Il trilie
over 81 degrees.
The government has appointed three
very prominent men to dispose of the
cases Of young men who object TO the
carrying of arms. on religious grounds.
BY vote Of 1l9 to 80 the second
chamber of the rlksdak passed the bill
empowering the government to draft
men for service AS wOodcutters. On
account of the scarcity of coal. the
government has decided to cut thou
sands Of loads of wood to be used in
place Of coal during the coming win
ter.
A fine llngon crop Is in prospect.
This means good deal TO the poor
of many rural districts OF Swe-
den. The lingon is by far the most
valuable wild berry IN the country, and
- good crop Is worth hundreds of
thousands of dollars. In former years
a large part Of the crop was exported
20 Germany and other foreign cOun-
tries.
About 20 cafes n GothenbUrs have
stopped the serving Of coffee on ac-
count Of the prOhbitive cost Of that
article.
The price paid for pine and spruce
cones this summer is about 80 cents
per 100 pounds. and a ten-year-old boy
or girl can make over a dollar day
picking them. The seeds are saved
for the market. and the cones them
selves are used for fuel.
The Swedish government has COM
menced TO tax foreigners who stay for |
some length Of time at the Saltsjo |
baths. near Stockholm. The value Of |
the taxable incomes and property Of |
the people thus taxed is put at about |
81, 10000.