Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1917-01-11
IN FAR NORTHLAND|
important Events in Sweden,
Norway and Denmark.
BRIEFS FROM OLD COUNTRY
Interesting Items From the Three
Great Kingdoms Of the North, Sc
iected for Scandinavians and
Their Descendants.
BY MARTIN W. ODLAND.
Sweden.

Sweden.
King Gustafs opening of the Troll
hatta canal should not pass unnOticed,
says the Boston Herald. Sweden must
be congratulated on having been able
to complete the work ut a time in
which she Is greatly harassed by a
war In which she has no part. Many
Swede In this country will be delighted
TO learn that Lake Wiener now has an
outlet to the Kattegat, and thus to
the North sea, and will make point
of having look at the canal If he re-
visit his native land. The lake is the
third largest in Europe, having all
area of 2,40S square miles, the north
ern half In Swaziland and the other
In Gothland, $50 feet above sea level.
1t has been long connected by canal
and smaller lakes with the Baltic on
the east, but westward seemed it's
more natural way out, seeing that Its
waters, carried by the river Gotta over
the picturesque Tr0llhatta falls, are
poured into the Kattegat at Gothen-
burg. For navigation q canal Of about
twenty miles in length was needed, and
1t has taken seven years to build 1t.
The traffic will be large and valuable.
Around the lake are forests of frs
highly priced for ships masts, and the
Svealand stores of iron and copper
| are almost ineXhaustible. The direct
| water route to the North sea for the
1uta min nf q a kn
district will be profitable improve
ment.
The project of building railway
| tunnel under Oresund, between Malmo
and OreSund, bids fair to become a
| reality, in spite of the many difficult
| ties and delays. Engineer Ohrt has
been negotiating with a bank in Paris,
with the result that he has been as
| sured of the necessary funds at the
| close of the war. The engineer Is de-
| voting all Of his energies to the pro-
| ject. in order that active work may be-
| gin Immediately after peace has been
declared. 1t is planned to run rail-
| way line from the Central station at
| Copenhagen to the Union station in
| Malmo. The tunnel will start at
| Amager in the vicinity of the Dragden
| strand and will emerge at Saltholm.
| Thence the tunnel will be continued
under water to the other side Of the
Sound. 1t is estimated that it will re-
| quire nine years to complete the vast
project, and that 1t will consume an
immense amount of money to build Il
but the benefits that will accrue wifi
be even greater than the cost.
A controversy has ragged among the
| Swedish officers In Persia for some
| time and has recently broken out In
the newspapers, Colonel Nystrom and
Captain Lundberg being the principal
antagonists. 1t Is announced that two
Swedish soldiers. Major Aangman and
Erickson, have been under arrest In
Persia for year, on the order of Colo
mel Nystrom, and their deliverance Is
not yet In sight. 1t is said that they
are being well treated.
A dispatch says that the Swedish of
fetal trade commission calls the atten'
ton of the government to the alleged
transfer of stock In Swedish ship lines
to foreign investors, especially Norwe'
gians. The Swedish minister of JUS
tice Is investigating whether the trans
fers are In violation of the law pro
hibiting the sale of ships to foreigners
NX.s. kx, Inxxy
er than in Norway.
The consistory of the city of Stock
holm has memorialiZed the king sug
costing that the government give Out
new rules for the sermons to be
dag. The consistory holds that these
services ought to be of peculiarly
solemn character With this end ir
view 1t Is suggested that the arch
bishop preach these sermons. or thai
he appoint someone in his place.
Two German naval officers. VIII,
have been interned In Gotland, es
capped recently and got on board of
ship bound for kalmar. The kalma
police were notified and tried to arres
them upon the arrival of the vessel
but both eluded the police. One o
them was later unprecedented a mil
north of Kalmar, but the other Is still
| at large
The military tax In Stockholm
: amounted to 100000 crowns thi
. year, being six times as high rs in 1915
1t Is expected that the tax will be re
duced.
Il The banks of Sweden enjoyed a YER
\ large business in 1916. the deposits a
the close Of the year being greatly Il
4 excess Of what they were year ag
!. and the capital stock Is also larger.