When Hr. Bostrom found it necessary to resign a
short time ago, the Nya Dagligt Allelianda (April 9,
1905), Sweden's leading aristocratic and anti-Nor-
wegian organ — had an article on that minister that
throws a special light upon the Swedish view of the
matter. There we have it stated among other things
that " he and his colleagues laid stress on the Con-
sular question's inseparable connection with the ques-
tion of the management of Foreign affairs. His
mistake and his great misfortune it was, that, under
Norwegian influence, he allowed himself, for a mo-
ment, to agree to a departure from his original
standpoint, and which found expression in the Com-
munique (of March, 1903). But he made good his
mistake for the greater part, and took up again
anew, and before it was too late, his old standpoint,
which was the only correct one. On the Norwe-
gians' refusal to treat the question of the Foreign
Administration in conjunction with the Consular
question,! Bostrom acted with inflexible logic —
in spite of Norwegian wrath — and continued to
demand the subordination of the separate Consuls

' In the preliminary agreement of March 24, 1903, it is
stated and recognised by both countries, as an explicit condition
of negotiations, that only the arrangement of the Consular
service is to come under consideration, and that the question of
the Consuls' relations to the Foreign Office was to be shelved
as a matter not yet ripe for discussion.
