The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-06-09
THE SCANDINAVIAN CRISIS.
CHICKERING'S BETWEEN SWEDEN
AND NORWAY COMING TO A
HEAD.
a Crisis Is Daily Threatened-If the
Two Northern Nations Come TO
blows Russia and Germany May
Each Bear a Hand-Causes of the
Trouble.

blows Russia and Germany May
Each Bear a Hand-Causes of the
Trouble.
Copyright.
Close students Of the political sltua-
ton among the swedes and Norweglans,
the two nations dwelling on opposite
sides of the rocky range Of mountains
which divides the Scandinavian peninsula
from north to south. fear that before long
the chickering's between the two viii be-
come SO serious as to scare away from
Europe the white-winged peace angel
that has lowered over the continent ever
since the Franco-Prussian waT.
If war should be declared between Swe-
den and Norway, these observers predict,
the trouble would hy no means be re-
stTicted to the scandinavian peninsula. So
restricted. it would not be of serious i'm
port to the world at large. but Of late
1t has been apparent that Germany has
a great sympathy for the Swedish side
Of the controversy, while Russia has been
manifesting equal interest in the Nor
wegians. So far has the matter gone. in
fact, that the newspapers of Berlin have
more than once limited at the advisability
of sending fleet Of German war vessels
to the Bay Of Christiana. on which the
capital city of Norway is located, while
the journals Of ST. Petersburg and Mos
COW, which are never allowed to print
a line disapproved by the official censors,
have alluded quite as directly to the pos
sible necessity OF dispatching a Russian
squadron to Stockholm. the Swedish cap
ital. If the swedes ana Norwegians
should come to blows while Russian and
German ships were in their waters watch
ing to keep the peace, there seems to be
little doubt that Russia and Germany
might each bear a hand, and it does not
need great insight into, the existing
strained relations between the powers to
perceive that after the red deluge OF war
would be apt 10 flow over all Europe.
1t would require many newspaper COL
umns to adequately explain the details o.
the disputes that have arisen between the
two halves of the scandinavian peninsula,
whose people are of Kindred race, speak
practically the same tongue, and have
been bound together in political uniQn
since 1914; but the immediate disturbing
cause is the refusal of King oscar 10
dissolve the present conservative minis
try Of Norway and form a new one, the
members Of which should be chosen from
the leaders of the radicals or extreme
left. He gave his decision in this matter
to the Norwegian Storthing, or congress.
In February of the present year, and,
though the severest pressure has since
been brought TO bear upon him, has res
olutely adhered to his ultimatum ever
since, though so critical has the situation
now become that between the writing AMI
printing of this article the situation may
have changed materially.
Until within two or three years King
Oscar has been able, by reason of his pow
ers of diplomacy and unusual level-head-
edness. to maintain excellent relations
with both parties. and his dissemination
at this time TO form radical ministry is
said 10 be based more upon personal than
political grounds Some time ago Depu-
ty Rand, in the course of a heated dis
cussion In the Norwegian Storthing. IL
luded to the monarch in the most slight
ing fashion, averring that "the supreme
defense of Norway was in the hands of
a foreign man from a foreign land"
Deputy Nelson, president Of the Storth-
ing, and leader Of the left, refused to call
Rand to order for this Characterization,
and this refusal has caused King Oscar
the Norwegian constitution making It
mandatory upon the monarch to change
his ministry at the demand of the legis-
lative branch of the government
In order to make the radical demands
clear, 1t will be necessary to devote a
few lines to the early history of the Scan
dinavians Undoubtedly the Danish.
Swedish and Norwegian races were orig
inaily one, but differences of environment
have developed marked differences in Ian
guage, customs and character. IN the
eighth ninth and tenth centuries the V'ik-
ings Of Norway were known and feared
in many lands. but, with the introduction
of Christianity in the eleventh century,
the Norsemen lost their fierce and warlike
character, and the smaH chiefs were at
the same time brought into subsection
by King Olaf the Saint, who reigned from
1915 to 1890, but was killed in a war with
King Knud of Denmark. In 1895, how
ever Kink Knud died, and OlaFs son.
Mangus, re-established Norwegian indie
pendence, which was thereafter main
tanned till 1919, when Norway again fell
under Danish domination In 1887 Sweden
also became practically subject to Den
mark, though until 1850, the three nations
were nominally on equal footing. Suisse
quently, both Swedes and Norwesians
were grievously oppressed by the Danes.
and, after many efforts, which were only
dItldiiy suCceSSIul, sweden, IN l5ll, threw
off the Danish yoke forever. Norway.
however, remained virtually a Danish
province for more than 800 years longer.
or until 1914. when the allied powers by
the treaty of Kiel, adopted in January, to
punish Denmark for espousing the cause
of Napoleon, presented Norway to Swe-
den.
The Norwegians. however, refused to
recognize this arrangement, and, on May
II, declared themselves a free and indie
pendent nation, adopting a limited, hertz
able, constitutional monarchical form of
government. Christian Frederick was
then made king. but his reign did not last
for long, since the Swedes objected to
giving up what had been allotted to them
by the treaty of Kiel, and, after some
lighting between the two peoples, the
Norwegians. on Nov. L. following the
adoption of their constitution, entered
into a voluntary union with Sweden 1t
was agreed that the two nations should
be equal in every respect. and that the
throne of the united kingdoms should
be occupied by Charles XIII, King of
Sweden.
1t was in this way that the celebrated
Bernadotte, a marshal of France under
Napoleon in 1910, who had Joined in the
coalition of 1878 against the Little Cor
pOral and on the death of the adoOted