The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-01-06
OAIENS OF TROUBLE.
FOREIGN MINISTER'S IN WASHINGTON
PREDICT A EUROPEAN WAR.
Tho Russian Bear Wants Seaport Open
the Year Eound-Looking to Norway
While Great Britain and Germany show
Their Tecth-Europc's Mighty Armies,
Especial correspondence

W
be great war in Europe before many
years Eavo passed is the belief of num-
Der of foreign ministers at this capital
with whom have privately talked dur
ing the past few days. These diplomatic
gentlemen keepin close touch with what
is going on across the water and have
special means of knowing what the tenn
per of their governments and peoples is.
Without exception those with whom
have spoken on this subject say the
chances are that the long impending war
in Europe cannot now be deferred be-
You'd few years. Just where or how it
will come they do not pretend to say,
and are rather discreet, on the whole. i'll
their remarks on the subject | was
struck, however, with the declaration Of
one experienced and important diplomat.
''You people here i'll America said
he, ''do not appear to appreciate the sig
nificance of the news which comes from
Norway. There. | fear, is to be found
the touch of finder which is needed to
set great explosion Off III the old world.
The jealousy that is springing up be-
tween Norway and Sweden, the constit-
uent parts of the Swedish empire, does
not amount to so much i'll itself. 1t is
what lies behind it that concerns Europe
particularly and the world in general.
Russia is the dark cloud looming up be-
hind the growth of Il separatist feeling
in Norway, and if Russia carries her
point there l am very much afraid she
will have Germany and Great Britain
confronting her with warlike menace.
Russia's Envious Eyes.
1.-THE situation is this" continued the
diplomat: Russia has no seaports that
are open to ships the year round. This
places her at a tremendous disadvantage
both from the commercial and the naval
point of view. The ice closes up the Bal
tic early every winter and keeps it closed
till the spring is we'll advanced Russia
has for a long time been looking about
for some winter ports that should give
her ships free access to the sea ut all
times of the year. Germany blockaded
herdesire for territorial acquisition on the
southern side of the Baltic aud Sweden
on the western side. Nothing remains
but the Norwegian ports. Upon those
Russia has long cast cnvious eyes.
''The most northerly ports i'll Norway
are open all winter. Even Tromsoe and
Vadsoe, which lie far up within the arc
tic circle, almost as far north as some of
your arctic explorers have gone in the
Greenland waters, are winter ports.
This is due to the influence of the great
gulf stream, which washes the coast of
Norway with water that is compare
lively warm, and filling the BAYS and
tiords prevents freezing even i'll the
coolest winters. 1t is Il remarkable fact
that these Norwegian tiords extend for
many miles back into the interior, but
they are as deep rs the sea itself-mere
slices cut out of the coasts by glacial &C
tlon-and the warm water from the gulf
of Mexico fills them and keeps them open
the year around.
Parallel Between Norway and Sweden
"The Norwegians and Swedes are radi-
cally different people. 1t is true their
language is much the same, and people
who live in one country can easily un-
derstand those of the other. Their litera-
ture is interchangeable. But they are
not the same people III characteristics or
aspirations. 1t is a common saving in
Europe that the Swcdcs are more like
the French and the Norwegians like the
Germans. The upper classes OF Swcdcs.
who are highly educated and very refined
people, affect to look down upon the
more simple Norsemcn. All the a.s-
tocracy there is III Scandinavia. ontsidc
of Denmark, has its Judgment in Swe-
den.
POLITICALLY Norway and Sweden have
good deal in common, but not as much
as most people think They have the
same king, the same diplomatic corps,
and that is all. Each country has ALSO
lutte home rule. Each has its parliament.
and i'll all internal affairs they are en-
tirely separate save that both have the
same executive head i'll the crown Dur
ing the last few years n strong feeling
has sprung up in Norway in favor OF
complete separation from Sweden. The
movement had its origin in desire for
q separate diplomatic establishment.
The Norwesians arc proud, even if they
are poor, and they do not like TO have
their representatives. in foreign lands
known as the representatives of Sweder.
They want Norway to have her owr.
representatives throughout the world.
L venture to say there is no other land
ON the globe in which there is more pa
triotisn than i'll the rocky region of the
Norsemen.
Look Out For {: General Eruption
This movement for IL separate diplo-
matte establishment has gone Oh and
gathered weight till it is now an omen
question whether or not it can be CON
fined within the original lines laid down
for it. From this basis it has developed
till it threatens revolution. So many of
Observation-Disclosures have visited your coun-
try or have relations here, where am