The Cook County news-herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Cook County, Minn.) 1909-current, 1917-06-27
SWEDEN.

llOnS are extensive, Sa1u cAat Tor Gays
the Swedish government allowed no
ships to clear from Gothenburg for
England or America. The ship insur-
ance instituticas were forbidden to
issue any politics. The purpose Of
this measure was twofold. The first
| object was to obtain from England a
more liberal export of supplies to
Sweden, and the second was to in
| fluence America to permit the loading
of the Swedish ships now lying empty
in the American harbors. Such repris-
ais all along have been Sweden's most
etticacious measures for the protection
of its interests. The government also
has made the issue of permits for the
transfer through Sweden of English
goods destined to Russia, the basis
for delivery of English and American
goods to Sweden. When that bargain
seemed to be hanging fire, Sweden SIM
ply said: Every well, this is our coun-
try and we will do what we please
with it and without reciprocal ar
engagements we certainly will not
make it a runway for goods consigned
to Russia. Let us have some of your
stuff or we will not pass your Russian
consignments." Consequently, there
were periods when the docks and the
freight depots on the eastern border
Of Sweden were piled high with goods
awaiting the concessions from Eng
land which would win their release. On
one occasion, when coffee famine
was threatened the government held
up 100000 bags Of coffee which was
consigned by foreign shippers to Rus
STA and made the permission for the
releasing of the coffee conditional up
on being allowed to buy for Sweden
10000 of the 100000 bags. This bar
gain was made. On another occasion
the government made permission to
an American firm to send 100000 tons
of leather into Russia conditional up
on that firms bringing into Sweden
from Finland and selling to Sweden
100000 tons of oil cake. The leather
was held up for five months, until this
was done, although it had been ship
ped from America in care of the Brit
ish government agents. The leather
was worth 100000. Something deep
err than the consciousness Of having
the upper hand in the traffic arrange
ments sustains Sweden in these meth
DDS. This is nothing less than the
peoples faith in their nations mill
tary strength and their confidence in
their ability to play the trump card
in the game Of international politics.
Such views are only limited, but they
none the less fill the national mind.
You get the whole story when you hear
a broad backed, square chinned and
keen eyed Stockholm business man
say: "Sweden neither wishes nor e1-
let the powers who think they can re-"
strict imports to us to a point where
it is endangering the nourishment of
our people consider what would hap
pen if Sweden put 100000 men on the
German front in Russia, thus permit
ting the Germans to make bigger con.
centrations in France"
Hjalmar Branting, the leader of the
Swedish Social Democrats, is hailed
by the French press as the man who
has more than any other contributed
to the defeat up to the present time
of all the German plans for a separate
peace with Russia. Humanite says
in IN editorial "that the clear-sighted
leader of the Swedish socialists, who
is a friend Of the allies because Of
their just cause, has saved the Rus
sian revolutiOnaries from the abyss
of separate peace with Germany In
L'Evenement Alexandra Varennes, So
cialist member of the French chamber
of deputies, emphasizes 'that the
democracy Of Branting is fighting
against the common foe for liberty and
peace" lie Gaulfos, the influential Or
gan of the French conservatists, says
"that the Russian working mems dele
caught in the trap of a separate peace
with Germany when Branting inter-
vened and warded off, the impending
danger"
The KarOlinska Association of Stock
holm has engaged Prof. J. Kolmodin to
make trip to Constantinople next
fall for the purpose of studying the
archives Of the city with regard to
the life and activity Of King Karl XII
during hts stay in Turkey. A rich
man whose name is not published has
offered to pay the expenses of the
work to be performed by Professor
Kolmodin.
The value of real estate in Stock
holm increased at the rate of $50 per
inhabitant from 1915 to 1916. A. the
same time the taxable income in
creased about Is per cent.
In view Of numerous complaints
about the food served in the army Of
Sweden, General Morcke of the first
army division stated in an interview
shat according to his knowledge most
of the complaints were unwarranted.
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