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LEFT SWEDEN 189 SWEDEN occupied by Great Britain, the third by Norway, and the fourth by Denmark. The imports were chiefly from Germany, Denmark, the United States, Great Brit- ain, Norway and the Netherlands. Transportation. — There are about 10,- 000 miles of railway in the country, of which about 3,400 belong to the state. There are about 50,000 miles of tele- graph wire and about 400,000 miles of telephone wire. There are over 1,000 sailing vessels in the merchant marine and nearly 20,000 steam and motor ves- sels. Education. — There are about 20,000 elementary schools, with about 2-5,000 teachers and 715,000 pupils. In 1918 there were 77 public secondary schools, with 26,313 pupils; 49 people's high schools, with 2,976 pupils; 15 normal schools for elementary teachers; and elementary technical schools, navigation schools, military schools, agricultural schools, and other special schools. An elementary education is compulsory and free. The universities are at Upsala and at Lund. There are also private univer- sities at Stockholm and at other cities. Finance. — The revenues and expendi- tures in 1920 balanced at £38,981,167, The public debt amounted to £59,811,509. Army and Navy. — Military service is universal but is aided by a voluntary enlisted personnel. Liability to service begins at the age of 20 and lasts till the end of the 42d year. The field army consists of 6 divisions, with a total peace strength in 1920 of 86,507. The total number of military age is about 650,000. The navy is entirely a coast defense force. It includes 13 vessels, varying from 3,700 to 7,180 tons. In addition there were in 1920 10 destroyers, about 50 torpedo boats, and about 14 sub- marines. Government. — A constitutional mon- archy. The King of Sweden, formerly also King of Norway, must be a mem- ber of the Lutheran Church. His person is inviolable. He has the right to de- clare war and make peace, and grant pardon to condemned criminals. He nominates to all appointments, both mili- tary and civil ; concludes foreign treaties, and has a right to preside in the su- preme court of justice. The king has an absolute veto against any decrees of the Diet, and possesses legislative power in matters of provincial administration and police. In all other respects, the foun- tain of law is the Diet. This Diet, or Congress of the realm, consists of two jhambers, or estates, both elected by the people, but representing different inter- ests. M History. — The two kingdoms, Gothland and Svealand, of which Sweden once con- sisted, were united in the 13th century by the failure of the royal line in the former. In 1397 by the treaty of Cal- mar, Sweden became subject to Margaret of Denmark, who has been styled the Semiramis of the North, and who joined the three kingdoms in one. Gustavus Vasa asserted the independence of Sweden and ascended the throne in 1521. He bequeathed the crown to his posterity, who continued to reign, and in general with distinction; but most of them, and in particular, Gustavus Adolphus, his daughter Christina, Charles XII., and Gustavus III., discovered a romantic spirit approaching, in the case of Charles XII., to a degree of infatuation. This dynasty ended in a prince (Gustavus IV.) who had all the eccentricity and hardly any of the talents of his pre- decessors. In 1809 this last monarch en- gaging in undertakings totally beyond the resources of his people, was deposed; and next year Marshal Bernadotte of France was elected crown prince, and in 1818 as Charles John XIV., ascended the throne. In 1814 Norway was annexed to Sweden (see Norway). In 1857 Charles XV. succeeded his father, Oscar I., and died in 1872, leaving' the crown to his son, Oscar II., who reigned thirty- five years. During the reign of Oscar II. many important measures of economic and social reform were adopted. These in- cluded accident insurance for working- men, limitation of working hours for women and children, and factory legisla- tion. In 1905 the union between Norway and Sweden was peaceably dissolved. (See Norway.) King Oscar died in 1907 and was succeeded by his son, Gustavus V. In 1909 a bill establishing manhood suffrage for elections to the Lower House, and effecting changes in the qualifications for the members of the Upper House, was passed. At the out- break of the World War in 1914, Sweden declared her neutrality. On December 18, 1914, a conference was held at Mal- mo, in which the kings of Sweden, Nor- way and Denmark took part. As a re- sult of this meeting an agreement ta defend the neutrality of these countries and to protect their economic interests, was made. During the early part of 1915 the Swedish Government com- plained to Great Britain against the ar- bitrary detention and interference with neutral vessels bound for Sweden. Great Britain based its action on the claim that contraband in large quantities had been imported into Germany by way of Sweden. In order to avoid complications, the Swedish Government published a de- Cyc— Vol. IX