YAYE OF PROSPERITY
Scandinavian Countries Are
Fairly Rolling in Wealth
Due to the War. '
FAY OFF STATE DEBTS
(Correspondence ot The Associated Press.)
Stockholm, Sweden, Aug. 15. Now
tnat the wave ot war-time prosperity
iwwping over Scandinavia has
reached its crest, in the case of Swe
den, with the nrreatest crons the eoun-
try has ever known, these northern
' peoples are forgetting some of the
vicissitudes of the small neutral in the
midst of the European conflagration,
even the rigors of the blockade itself,
so great nas Deen tne prosperity
of the last two years that it is report
ed the governments of Denmark, Nor
way and Sweden already have paid
oft, or have sufficient funds in tin
state coffers to pay off, all outstand
ing foreign indebtedness. So in I
brief space of time the three small
neutrals lying here in the very lap
of war, but not of the war,- have
been transformed from the borrowing
to the lending class.
The process of paying off foreign
obligations has been materially facil
itated by a loss in value of foreign
exchange. The German mark lias led
the international moneys downward
with the loss of more than W per
cent. 1 he tnglish pound, the Ameri
can dollar, the Russian ruble, the con-
tinental franc all have been quoted on
the Scandinavian bourses at a loss
of 10 per cent and upward, so that
the foreign buying power ot the
Scandinavian crowns, when buying
has been permitted, has greatly ad
vanced. Sweden had borrowed much
money from Germany. Waitime
trade with the blockaded Germans
has brought enormous profits. This
fact. -combined with the cheapness of
the German mark, has enabled the
Swedish debtors to wipe out many
million crowns ot .teutonic obliga
tions.
i Golden Horn For All.
When prosperity first came to
Scandinavia it was distinctly a pros
perity of the moneyed classes, People
with money were quick to take ad
, vantage of the war opportunities and
not a few of them have made fortunes
by merely dealing in foreign money.
' There were stock booms that made
the manipulators of American "war
brides" appear as amateurs. But
gradually - the inflow of money af
fected ail industries. Unemployment
became unknown and the skilled la
borers received high" wages. The
farmers participated in the prosperity
, from the beginning, and their share
- has been steadily increasing until this
year they will divide a crop yield
-estimated at more than $400,000,000
against the normal of less than half
that amount. This remarkable yield
is due both to the bountiful 'cron:
i and the increased values of foodstuffs:
-The middle classes of the cities, the
salaried employes, have as usual been
caught between the millstones of high
prices and big profits, the salaries
having in no case kept pace with the
increased cost or living.
Savings banks and commercial
banks show deposits far in excess
of any expectation. Luxuries are in
great demand and of course fabulous
prices. The summer resorts report a
record season. People with home
products to sell are naturally not
1 worried By the British, blockade for
they have discovered it has served the
double purpose of lowering the value
of foreign exchange and increasing
'the value of materials and foodstuffs
now in the Scandinavian countries,
mere are plenty oi complaints nat
urally among the importers who ap-
. preciate the wonderful opportunities
of prosperity, but are not able to
bring in foreign goods in sufficient
quantities to get what they claim is
' their due share ot the good times,
CroDS Benefit Germany.
, The bountifufSwedish crops mean
much to the Germans, for they will
get their share of the much-needed
foodstuffs in compensation for the
German coal, chemicals and other ex
ports sent to this country. Coal al
ways has been the chief import of
Sweden and great stores of German
coal are being piled up here in Stock
holm and at other depots throughout
the country. There is a long winter
coming and English coal has so in
creased in cost as to be almost prohib
itive. ) Part of the compensation
lor German coal has been paid in
Swedish horses, the export of 10,000
having been approved by the govern
inent this year. But the only horses
considered unlit tor Swedish military
service. For these somewhat aged
j animals the price has averaged over
$400, thus giving the hore-owner a
share -of the prevailing prosperity.
Swedish manufacturers have shown
a wonderful increase since the war
began. Russia has become a great
purchaser ot manutactured goods, es
pecially since Russian factories have
been turned to munition-making. The
Swedish manufacturers have com
plained the most bitterly against the
British blockade regulations, not hav
ing been able to get all the raw ma
terials they needed.
The governments of the three
Scandinavian countries were quick to
see the trend of the times and by
special taxes and heavy income levies
have filled the national treasuries to
overflowing. One American concern
doing business here in Stockholm
paid last year a tax of 28 per cent
on its net' profits. The stamp taxes
on tobacco and liquors have steadily
increased. On cigarette packages,
selling ordinarily at 7S- cents for fifty.
cigarettes a JU-cent stamp has been
placed. Part of their enormously in'
creased national revenue has been de
voted to the maintenance of armed
neutrality, the naval and military ex
penses having been very heavy ever
iince the war began.
Shippers Reap Harvest.
The Norwegians, with their wealth
of shipping and their extensive fish?
eries, have reaped such a golden har
vest that the term "Norwegian mil
lionaire" is a common designation for
men who two years ago were pos
sessed of merely modest means. The
Norwegians rather "put it over" the
Swedes at the beginning of the war
by buying up many Swedish ships
before the Swedish owners realized
the mammoth profits that were to
come from neutral tonnage in war
times. The Danes were quick to grasp
the situation, too, and the result has
been that many Norwegian and Dan
ish shipping companies have entirely
paid off all their capital stock, have
paid off the cost of all their ships
and have declared huge dividends
from the earnings of vessels which
no longer represents a dollar of orig
inal investment. Despite the many
losses inflicted upon Scandinavian
shipping by German submarines and
North sea mines the tonnage of the
northern neutrals has shown a 'steady
increase. Many of the big shipbuild
ing orders placed in the United States
in the past eighteen months have
come from Norway. Shipping shares
on the stock exchanges, under these
circumstances, have had a boom un
paralleled in all history. They have
jumped hundreds of points in a day
and instead of selling in the tens of
crowns are now selling in the thous
ands. Ship values have increased
ibout fourfold.
The Norwegians have also reaped
enormous profits from fish, .the price
sf herring and fish oils having shown
increases as hich as 600 Der cent. The
biggest profits come from Germans,
of course, but now under a iraae
agreement with Great Britain the
English have first option on the Nor
wegian output at limited prices.
eDsnite the. fortunes already mad
in Scandinavia there are stories of
still trreater ones that might be made.
If anyone, for instance, could get a
cargo of bacon for Germany through
on ths one deal alone,
the English blockade and through the
Scandinavian restrictions of export, it
is said he could retire as a millionaire
Chinese Suspect
New. Jap Genera'
(Correspondence of TheXssocls,ted Press.)
Pr-Uino- Sent. 30. China's appoint
mnr nf Vfainr General Nobuzumi Aoki
Las first class "military advisor to the
V-l: A.M.t, Uto nrnunM
much comment in the Chinese press,
and came as a great surprise to for-eio-nprs
livino- in China. Maior Gen
eral Aoki will receive a salary of
$2,000 Mexican per month, togethe
with an allowance for traveling ex
penses.
Commenting sarcastically upon the
appointment, the Peking Daily News
says: "We heartily thank our Japan
ese neighbor for lending the services
of so valuable a general ot the Jap
anese armv to China for the reor
ganization of the Chinese army. The
next step is the purchase of at least
half of the arms and ammunition re
quired by the Chinese army from
Japan,- or the establishment of a Sino
Japanese arsenal in this country un
der Japanese control as demanded by
Japan last, year, but refused by the
late President Yuaft Shi-kai, even un
der the threat of an ultimatum de
livered at Peking on May 7, 1915.
When Major General Aoki was as
signed to Shanghai as an attache of
the Japanese consulate there in the
heat of the recent revolutionary
trouble, many Chinese papers chars
ed that he was the forerunner of a
Japanese military movement design
ed to control the Yangtse valley and
pis employment as an adviser to the
Chinese government is regarded with
great apprehension by Chinese jour
nals, which demand information as
to why China should place itself in
Tananrse hands hv the employment
of the distinguished Japanese officer.
Major General Aoki was the com
mandant of Port Arthur in the Russo
Japanese war, and is probably the
most famous soldier in Japan. He is
57 years old and has traveled much
in Europe. On several occasions he
has been attached to the Japanese
legation at Peking, and is an expert
in Chinese art.
Italian Soldiers
Save Much Money
Shell Hurls Soldier
From Danger to Safety
(Correspondence of The Aasoclatsd Press.)
Berlin, Sept 23. There now is on
record the case of a shell that rescued
a man from an apparently hopeless
situation.
The son of the policeman, Fahrn
bacher in'Landshut, on the west front,
stumbled in to-a swamp and sank into
it despite his utmost efforts. After
struggling desperately for two hours
he gave up all hope except that com
rades might come along. Suddenly
the section of country where he was
was placed under French fire. "A
shell exploded' very near him and, in
stead of injuring him, tore him -loose
from the swamp and threw him onto
solid ground, tie lost consciousness
for a time and was slightly hart or
one hand, but recovered rapidly in a
hospital,
Filipinos Now Planning
Municipal Golf Courses
(Correspondence of The Associated Press.)
Manila, P. I., Sept. 28. The mu
nicipal board, consisting of one
American and four Filipinos, has
voted to establish a municipal golf
course in Manila. The links are to
bo situated on the bay front on ti I lect
in ground admirably suited tc the
purpose, and will be thrown open to
the public.
The Filipino, since American occu
pation, has taken whole-heartedly to
our-door exercises, and among the
younger set, some excellent tennis,
basket ball and base ball players have
been developed. These three sports,
notably base ball, are played in every
nook and corner of the islands. Golf
is a new game for the Filipino. . '
Belle Become Pro.
Tom Bello, the Italian bicycle rider who
was runner-vp In the amateur championship
this year, has decided to enter the profes
sional olass. Tom opines that pedaling for
mesjals, brlc-a-brao, etc.. Is all right as far
aa It iroes, but It doesn't bring home the
pagnetu.
(Correspondence of The Associated press.)
Headauarters of the Italian Army,
Oct. 2. The soldiers each month send
home to their families out of their
pay $4,250,000, according to the army
postottice statistics. Xhis tact is at
tributed to the economic disposition
of the individual soTdier and also to
the abundant army ration which makes
it unnecessary lor him to buy private
supplies ot wine, tobacco or lood.
Why. they wake us up in the
morning to drink a glass of rum," said
one enthusiastic Alpini.
J. he total cost ot . the daily war
zone ration is about 75 cents, accord
ing to the changes in the wholesale
market prices. But the high cost of
living felt in the homes never affects
the quantity allotted the soldier.
the total quantity ot the ration is
1,860 grams, or slightly over four
pounds, with an additional allowance
of 300 grams during periods of hard
work or lighting. Ihe traily bread ot
the soldier weighs one and one-half
pounds, with two pounds on special
occasions. His daily drink consists
of a half pint of wine, with a full pint
fin bad weatKer or during periods of
hard labor.
The other items in his ration are
meat, sugar, coffee, lard, potatoes or
beans, salt, pepper, cheese, figs, choco
late, dry tigs and cake.
Senators to Cuba.
'Tis said that Clark Griffith is to pass up
Charlottesville as a training- camp and take
his Washington team to Cuba next spring-.
harlottesvllle was all right, except that Its
name was too long to get Into the papers,
and the playvrs hail'to train in fur caps and
Ulalers. '
J .
"Gets-It" Never
Fails for Corns!
There's Nothing on Earth Like It
For Corn and Calluses.
"Whenever you sret corns and calluses.
don't experiment Just use "GETS-IT" and
nothing else. Easiest and simplest thing I
know to use just a few drops on in a few
seconds "GETS-IT" does the rest. The old
Wear
Shoeg
That Fit
"Geti-It"
Tonight
way is toMiundl up your toes in harnesses
ana Bandages, use salves that make toes
raw, cotton rings that make your corns pop
eyed, knives and "diggers" that tear your
heart out and leave the earn in. No wnn.
der they make you limp and wince. Forget
all these use "GETS-IT," the simplest corn
remedy in the world, easiest to use, never
fails or sticks, painless. Your corn loosens,
then you lift it off. You can wear smaller
noes.
GETS-IT" is sold and rrnmmnAA t
druggists everywhere, 26o a bottle, or sent
on receipt of price, by E. Lawrence Co.,
Chicago, 111.
Sold in Omaha and reco .ime ded m the
worlds best corn rem-dy by Sherman &
What
He
St
aeas
For
' 'v ' ",'' - -f.-i-. Ul -:l .. -i ,,: !, ... ...... .. ..-.".)(,..
- (
(fyOU ask what road I propose to travel?
These are the'mflestones which mark it.
"An Executive responsible to the whole nation. - , ,
''' . . v, ' ' . ' V. . '
"A Cabinet chosen from thje ablest Americans.
"A foreign policy that stands courteously but firmly for American rights.
"A flag that protects the American in his lawful rights wherever his legiti
mate business may take him.
"A preparation for traMe, competition which shall protect all groups of .
American Workmen.
"A government oversight of business which will fearlessly eliminate abuses,
but will act on the assumption that the average business man is honest.
"And finally a domestic policy which looks to industrial peace, and to
sound and permanent prosperity based upon the development of American
trade and the building up of American Industries. .
"We Americans are in one boat. You cannot strike
a blow at one group without injury to all. Common jus
tice and fair play will settle our difficulties if suspicion
and bitterness are let alone. These are the principles by
which I propose to be guided." -
r '(''- - -
Republican National Publicity Commltt.o.
