The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-02-26


Correspondence Of the Associated
Press)-The Ternee River IL frozen
over again and business Is good In
smugglers' haven. From far up In the
Arctic tundra of Lapland down to lee
filled Terneo Bay, 30 miles south OF
the circle, sledges drawn by reindeer,
dogs and ponies are crunching across
the river by night, laden to the run
ners with tea, coffee, rubber and sugar,
all bound for Sweden, where they are
worth almost their weight In gold.
Their sources are Russia and Fin
land. and their immediate destination
Haparanda. on the Swedish side of the
Torneo River. where ex-saflors, hotel
walters and a typical collection OF
frontier town types are making money
hand over fist and drinking champagne
for breakfast.
Haparanda Is Swedish, as different
from war distracted and revolutfon-rid-
den Russia Torneo as If It were hun
dreds Of miles away. instead OF being
separated only by q ten-mfnute sleigh
ride in winter, and ten-mfnute ferry
trip In summer, across the mile-w1de,
salmon-filled river. Harparanda Is the
Dawson of the new Klondike, and its
gold comes from siedges that slip by
the Russian frontier guards, full of
the commodities Sweden needs. 1t is
nearly Arctic, and now, in the heart
of winter, there is daylight only five
hours. The town doesn't awaken I'M
til 10 in the morning, when the cham
pagne-at about s12 a quart-begins
flowing and bubbles in the coffee room
of the hotel until 1880 at night, when
the electric lights are extinguished be-
cause Sweden is short of coal. And
then 1t bubbles and fizzes by candle
light in bleak looking wooden houses,
wormed by porcelain stoves and made
alright by sealed-up windows, until
some one insists on breaking up the
game.
Before the war, Haparanda was
tiny village, frontier customs post.
The Russian frontier gendarmes were
vigilant and those who slipped through
were few and far between, and there
was less incentive to smuggle, for
Sweden imported freely from across
the seas. The war made Torneo the
rival of Archangel and Vladivostok as
port of entry into Russia. Hapa-
randa shared the gain. Business
b..ndings Of wood and a large hotel
that looks like a typical American
small town shall sprang up almost
overnight 1t is still growing.
The goose that laid the golden egg
that buys the wine and keeps the poker
games going lives over in Finland,
which although short Of food itself.
permits millions of kroner worth to
slip through every month.
A year ago a Swedish preacher, on
an innocent mission, was shot by
Russian frontier guard. The trouble
that resulted led to almost complete
laxity at the frontier and now, on any
dark night, scores of sleighs slip
across the river unmolested and de-
post their cargoes on the Swedish
side. Some of the goods go through
the Swedish customs houses and the
duty is paid. Even with the Swedish
duty there is tremendous profit on the
shipments.
Coffee that the Finnish agents secure
for 10 kroner a lzilo (2.20 pounds)
brings 20 across the frontier. Small
boys, muffled in great overcoats, wad-
die across the river on skis with rub
Der tires for automobiles wrapped
around their waists-and rubber is the
lllOSI ullllCulI vi ali Sldi
products to obtain in Sweden. Its ex-
port from Russia is forbidden.
The smugglers are the richest, but
Haparanda's gay white way''-the ho-
tells filled always with other spend
ers. There are German agents-the
German Consul always has a party
at his table. Haparanda is the spot
where invalid prisoners are exchang-
ed, through the agency of Swedish
Red Cross workers, and has for
months been the only place where
Russia was in free contact with Eu-
rope. Hence the Germans.
Here is a typical picture of any
night in Haparanda when business is
good on the Torneo. The coffee room
is crowded early. A Serbian "kappel-
meister" tunes up his violin. A young
! Austrian with a bass viol and three,
smiling German girls, with mandolins,
| the rest of the orchestra, play Ameri
can rag-time. Swedish barmaids hur-
ry about with champagne and other
wines just as expensive.
A young Swede with blank-looking
face, who has just made 10000 kroner
on a coffee deal, is spending it, buy
! ing for every one who will accept
| such familiarity. At the other tables