New Britain herald., 1925-02-24
First Prime Minister

Hjalmar Granting, the hrst socialist prime minister in the his- tory of Sweden, and one of the out standing public men of that country in his time, was regarded by the Swedish people as their countryS most prominent international poli- tician.
 Devoting virtually his entire life to the amelioration of the conditions of the working classes and the at tainment of the social democratic dream of universal peace by univer- sal understanding, Dr. Granting worked unceasingly and with fine optimism for the realization of his ideals. He spared himself no per sonal sacrifice. and even sat in prison for his championship of the cause of those whose caste and cul- ture were inferior to his own.
 Interference with these activities, which he regarded as his more im- portant international work, promi- nent Swedes said at the time, was the real reason for Dr. Branting's resignation as finance minister in the Eden government in 1913, al- though he had said he was with drawing from the cabinetebecause of the condition of his health.
 The ministry from which he re- signed fell in 1920 and Dr. Granting succeeded to power forming an en- tirely social democratic administra- tton. His government remained in power, however. only from March to October, when 1t resigned. As a result of the socialists victory in the elections in the fall of 1921 he was returned to power. His gov ernment remained until April, 1923, during which Granting was both premier and foreign minister. It resigned after having been defeated in the upper chamber on a proposal by the government to distribute doles among the unemployed.
 The succeeding ministry resigned in October, 1924, because of diver gent views between it and parlia- ment on the question of disarma- ment and for the third time Dr. Granting was called to head the gov ernment.
 Was Foe Of Germany
 During the world war pr. Bran tlng was ouspoken in his criticism or Germany and in May, 1917 he made a bitter attack upon the Ger man government for its submarine warfare, characterizing Germany's ruiihg clique as the common enemies of mankind"
 As the representative of the swnd. lsh Social Democracy, Dr. Granting played an important role in nearly all international labor conferences He took part in all the meetings of the first International and in the summer of 1917 was chairman of the Dutch-Scandinavian deIepatior "hlch sat at Stockholm and in turn confererd with delegations of the socialist parties from nearly all the oelllgerent countries with a view to devlsing a platform for joint inter- Fention by them in the interests of peace. In January and February lSlS' he was chairman of the Inter- national Social Democratic Confer. ence at Bernc, at which British French and Germans met for tbe first time since the war.
 Advocated Wilson's Plan.
 During the Paris peace conference pr. Granting was active as an advo- cate of peace on the lines of Wood- row Wilson's fourteen points. As Sweden's delegate to the League of Nations he took a prominent part in its proceedings with special inter- est in the movement for disarma- ment. He was chairman of the as- sembly committee on disarmament at the 1920 and 1921 sessions and also was appointed q member of the