Evening star., 1917-09-24
ANXIETY IN SWEDEN
OVER THEU.S. DRAFT
Fear Expressed Subjects of
That Country Will Be Forced
Into Military Service.
COMMENT OF NEWSPAPERS
BY RAssET DIGBY,

CablegraA to The Evening Star ana
Chicago Daily News. Copyright. 1917.
STOCKHOLM, Sweden. September %
(delayed).-Increasing anxiety regard
ing tho possibility Of Swedish subjects
in America being drafted into the Ma
tional Army il beginning to be ex-
pressed here There are numerous in
auiries at the American legation every
day. but Minister Morris himself Is not
clear on the American position. while
at tho legation yesterday the Swedish
chamberlain, Herr Rand. inquired anx-
iously as to the outlook for his son In
! America Reports have been cabled
| that legislation was contemplated to
give unnaturalized residents Of Amer
lea their choice between submitting to
| tho draft on an equality with the nat
| uralized or OF leaving the country
| within ninety days.
Newspaper Comment.
Newspapers are taking the matter
up. The Norrkopfng Tidnfngen and
! the Stockholm Nva Dagligt Allehanda
| say:
Such a respite in these times is
| not worth much when It Is nearly
impossible to get place on q trans
| atlantic liner. There ts reason to sup
pose that many Swedes who do not
| wish to renounoe their Swedish citi
| zenship will be forced into war service.
| 1t is >up to the foreign once to take
| cognizance and protect our interests.
1t Is certainly a sad case that the peo
pies rights do not preclude enrolment
| for military service of foreign sub
jects. According to the Norwegian con-
scription laws citizenship plays no role
in the matter. II a man is liable to
only question to be decided Is whether
| he is domiciled in Norway. Our own
| draft law provides for liability only
! for Swedish men and naturalized for
government has already begun to In
| vestigate whether it's subjects In Amor
lea cannot be exempted from tho draft"
Indulges in sarcasm.
Tho Stockholm Aftonbladet makes .
more violent protest
ut IL estimated" It says. that the
number OF Swedish subjects between
twenty-one and thirty-one in America
Is 100000. With tho existing communi-
+, cations between the United States and
scarcely 10000 could obtain passage
within ninety days, especially as Nor
! wegians and Danes are equally affected
| by the Draconfan regulation proposed.
The Wilson offer surprised the neutrals.
surprise. This perhaps II the greatest
of all. America, the so-called native
land Of democracy. indicts war service
on masses OF mon who are refused the
right to vote in that country.
This America In arms simply an
nexes the subjects Of neutral lands and
makes soldiers OF them. Neutral ton
| mage in American harbors has not yet
been seized. but neutral individuals
have been taken. The proposed enroll
ment of Swedes in the American Army
brings deep alarm and grief In many
Swedish homes and the grief will be
greater and harder to bear when, after
| the respite of ninety days. IL passed.
thousands Of Swedish homes will nnd
| their sons and daughters, in spite of
suffering and death in the great world
| war for a cause not theirs.s
| More Moderate View.
In quarters more closely In touch
with American affairs and better un-
lderstanding American character. Il IL
recognized as extremely unlikely that
the draft will be applied in cases
where steamship accommodation II not
available within tho time limit set. It
is asserted that should the legislation
be passed the moro application for
passage at the earliest opportunity
would be regarded as compliancs with
the rule. The Swedish foreign ONCE
authorizes me to say that an INJURY
for more light on the subject had been
sent to the Swedish minister in WASH
ington. but that as yet no reply had
been received. When II comes q course
| from we'll informed though unomcial
sources that objections to the drafting
| OF unnaturalized Swedes will be made
| If the law Is passed.