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
ieeted for Scandinavians and
Their Descendants.
BY MARTIN W. oDLAND.
Sweden.

Sweden.
King Gustaf's opening Of the Troll
hatta canal should not pass unnOticed,
says the Boston Herald Sweden must
he congratulated on having been able
to complete the work at a time In
which she Is greatly harassed by a
war In which she has no part. Many a
| 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 ut the canal If he re-
visit his native land. The lake Is the
third largest in Europe, having an
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 its
more natural way out, seeing that Its
| waters, carried by the river Gotta over
| the picturesque Trollhatta falls, are
poured into the kattegat at Gothen-
| burg. For naviga ton canal of about
| twenty miles In length was needed, and
| The traffic will be large and valuable.
| Around the lake are forests of frs
highly priced for ships masts, and tho
Swaziland stores of iron and copper
are almost inexhaustible. The direct
water route to the North sea for the
lumber and minerals of the big lake
district will be profitable improve
ment.
| The project of building a 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 1t will re-
quire nine years to complete the vast
project, and that 1t will consume an
immense amount of money to build t
but the benefits that will accrue viii
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.
Ship prices in Sweden are much low
err 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
preached at the opening Of the riks-
dag. The consistory holds that these
services ought to be of peculiarly
solemn character. With this end in
view 1t is suggested that the arch
bishop preach these sermons, or that
he appoint someone in his place.
|
| Two German naval officers who
have been interned In Gotand, es-
capped recently and got on board of a
ship bound for kalmar. The Kalmar
police were notified and tried to arrest
them upon the arrival of the vessel,
hut both eluded the police. One of
them was later apprehended mile
north of kalmar, but the other Is still
at large.
The military tax in Stockholm
amounted to 30,0oo00 crowns this
year. being six times as high as In 1915
1t Is expected that the tax will be re-
duced.
The banks of Sweden enjoyed very
large business in 1916, the deposits at
the close of the year being greatly In
excess Of what they were year ago
and the capital stock Is also larger.
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