The Cook County news-herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Cook County, Minn.) 1909-current, 1917-05-16
SWEDEN.

When the war broke out, Sweden
was undoubtedly within the German
sphere Of interest. This was respon-
sible for the steady decrease in Great
Britain's interest for Sweden. It was,
therefore, no wonder that many
Swedes regarded Germany as the only
country from which she could get help
in protecting herself against the dan
ger from Russia. A number Of Swe-
denis leading politicians even went SO
far as to openly advocate an alliance
with Germany. This fear of Russia
may keep up the close relations be-
tween Sweden and Germany even for
the future. But Russia's TRANSFORMED
ton from an autocracy into repub-
lie has changed the whole situation.
The Swedish nation does not need to
fear democratic Russia, which, for
generations, will be kept busy solely
with putting order into the chaos
created by the mismanagement Of an
Incompetent bureaucracy. Up to the
present Sweden has mainly been a
seller Of raw materials, which have
gone to Germany, where they have
been converted into finished products.
But Sweden is now trying to create
industrial establishments, capable of
taking care Of this process and thus. Of
reserving the whole profit for herself,
in fact, the only sound method. A sue
cessful development Of this kind will
transform Sweden from seller of raw
materials into competitor of Ger
many. This will especially be the case
In regard to some branches Of the
chemical Observation-Disclosures we'll
as the cellulose, paper and iron indus
tries. Sweden will find an enormous
market for her ironware in Russia,
while the rest of her industrial prod
ucts will go to trans-oceanic countries.
Such a development will also result in
transformation of the Swedish
communications from the direction
north to south to one of west to east.
This will be especially easy to accom-.
plish, because the chief ports of Swe-
-Gothenburg and Stockholm-are
situated in the latter direction and
there are confronted by the slightest
natural obstacles. Russia would also,
under such circumstances, be made
the chief seller of raw materials, to
Sweden, especially Of grain, and
large share Of the transit trade be-
tween Russia and trans-oceanic coun
tries, could be further directed through
Sweden. It is easy to see how much
Sweden could gain through such re-
arrangement of her commercial 1ela-
tons with foreign countries.
The farmers of southern Sweden are
greatly displeased with the manner in
which the potato crop was disposed Of
last year. Wholesalers and potato
meal factories bought all that they
could get hold Of, and when the bulk
of the crop had passed out Of the
hands of the farmers the rniddlemen
began to raise the price and kept on
raising it until they were in position
to earn much more than the producers.
Now the farmers have appealed to the
government to take steps to prevent
the middlemen from playing the same
trick this year. If nothing is done to
insure a fair price to the producers
they may follow the only safe course,
which is to plant less potatoes than
the country really needs.
The prices of certain metals have
risen to fabuloes heights. A few in
stances may be mentioned. Tin is So
a pound, an increase Of 800 per cent
since the beginning of the war. An
timony is $3.50 a pound, an increase Of
1000 per cent. Lead is 600 per cent
higher. But graphite has distanced
all other minerals in the race, the in;
crease for certain grades being 1900
per cent. During the early stages Of
the war the Swedes exported metals to
Germany, and now they are suflerinlf
go .E &