New Britain herald., 1918-03-12
DECLARES SWEDEN
Will STAY NEUTRAL
Mrs. Ira Nelson Morris Describes
Suffering From Food Shortage

New York. March 12.-While Swe-
den is in an extremely critical condi-
ton owing to the scarcity of food,
fuel and clothing, she is not likely
| to go into the war on either side, &C
| cording to Mrs. Ira Nelson Morris,
wife of the Am erican Minister to
Sweden, who is here for q, short visit.
Such a measure would only result in
a revolution If it We're, cCntem plated,
she says, but 1T is n most remote pos
sibiIity, for tho labor element and the
Socialists, who arc now very infiuen-
tial with the Government are entirely
opposed to the country entering the
conflict. There is much less unrest
since the new party, came into power
q year ago, and with the ever grow
ing hope that the United States will
raise its embargo on food the people
feel that the present situation cannot
continue for long.
Mr.. Morris and his family went to
Sweden just before the outbreak Of
the war, and therefore have faced
many problems of diplomacy during
the past four years. Sweden feels the
effect of the opposing influences per-
haDs moro than any of the neutral
countries with the German Queen
stiid LIlo EEnS9llSIl crown 1TlHC6SS, DdL
Mrs. Morris says that the sympathies
are very evenly divided, and no more
than so per cent. of the population
is pro- German. The American Min
lister now occupies the home of Prince
Wilhelm, the second son of the King,
who IS separated from his wife, a
Russian princes. While they them
selves have not suffered greatly for
lack of any of the necessities they
long ago were obliged to forego lux
uries and have had to pay enormous
prices for many articles. Coal was
hard to get at $42 a ton, and coffee,
which is no longer on the market,
cost them as much as 81 a pound.
With Sweden so near the theater
of war we found so much to be done
from the very beginning that we
scarcely knew where to start said
Mrs. Morris at her apartment at the
Plaza The American women there
at once organized relief committees.
but the tasks became 50 great within
q few months that we saw that our
forces were becoming too scattered
and that it would be better to center
our interests on q few branches of
work that were perhaps not receiv-
ing so much attention. In order to
determine the wisest course it was
decided that I take a trip through the
different countries and find out their
needs first hand.
by this time the number of pris-
oners being taken on both sides was
growing with astounding rapidity,
and the enforced idleness of these
people was the great problem of the
moment. Some of them in tho
from material at hand, SO l gathered
them up, urging them to cintinue the
work, and established a market for
these things by giving bazars in
Stockholm at frequent intervals. In
this way w ewere able to provide
many little comforts for the prison
crs, and at the same time occupy
them, which was the most 1mpor-
tant thing.
Then came the exchange of pris-
oners and disabled soldiers between
Russia and Germany, and all of them
were brought through Sweden. Hun
dredS would pass each day through
a station about five hours from Stock
holm, the Germans in the morning
and the Russians in the afternoon, so
we undertook to feed them there
and provide them with things they
greatly needed before beginning the
Ia st part of their journey. The care
of these people was quite the most
depressing experience 1 have known
III all my work. OF course, no one
was released who could be of the
slightest service to the country where
lie was held prisoner, SO we saw the
most deplorable specimens Of hu-
mainly Day after day they would
pour into the little town--complete,
hopeless Notwithstanding them
selves up to our canteen. some on
improvised crutches; some so dis
cased that they had to be helped by
their more fortunate companions, but
all so hopeless, so resigned. Most Of
them seemed to realize they were
complete wrecks, and that no mat
ter what care they were given, they
would never be anything but a
| charge.
'One of the greatest needs at the
| present time and that in which [ am
| intensely Interested is the relief of
| the blind. While the condition of
| the thousands who have been blind
ed in the war seems pretty bad it is
| not nearly so depressing some
| other relief work among the war suf-
ferers, for they are so cheerful and
| their sense Of touch becomes SO acute
that they make remarkable progress
| in learning trades. But the interest
| in them should not stop when they
! have learned some particular occu-
| patton, for there are many long hours
| when they cannot work. The only di-
| version they have is reading, OF
which they are immoderately fond.
| "The BraiIle system for the blind
| is the one I have been most inter
| ested in, for they seem to learn it
50 quickly. 1t is a combination of
| dot indentations which are first made