The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-11-03
NoRwAY.s ASPIRATIONS.

The dispute between Norway and
Sweden which has ragged with more or
less bitterness for the last decade has
become more acute since the return OF
DR.. Nansen from his expedition TO the
I North Pole II has reached a point.
Z in fact, that leads many people TO ex-
pect serious troIble. The radicals, one
OF whose leaders is the famous poet,
/ Bj6rnstjerne Bj6rnson, whose ardent
desire is 10 make republic Of the west
ern part OF Scandinavia, have used the
explorer. In truth. as a means TO their
end. and NAnsen apparently has cast
his lot willingly with them. Leaving
out OF consideration the merits OF the
political question. II Is a pity that he
should lend himself at the moment Of
his scientific triumph TO political in
trigue
But this evidently he had determined
10 do before his return to civilization.
sailed from the frozen north homeward
bound was the single flag OF Norway,
and not the Swedish Norwegian ensign.
Nansens fellow republicans in Chris
tlania. therefore. were not surprised
when. at the great festival in his honor.
he poured out his soul In a plea for
an independent Norway. But there was
one man from whom every word drew
blood-King oscar. the scholarly occu-
pant OF the double throne. Although
the sympathies OF all Americans are
naturally with Norway in its longing
TO become a republic, King oscar, It
must be admitted. had reason to ex-
pect less reactionary course from
Nansen. His majesty has not forgotten
that II was his financial aid which,
after the refusal OF the Norwegians to
appropriate a sufficient amount-en-
abled the explorer to undertake his
hazardous expedition.
The king has been obliged to submit
to sights on many occasions in Nor
way in the last ten years. and has
hard time in preventing the Norwegian
storthing from refusing to appropriate
its part OF the royal salary, or appan-
age, But nothing that has happened
heretofore has so excited him or led
him to express himself so openly as
have the incidents subsequent to the
return Of his protege.
The reception in honor of Nansen in
Christiania, In fact. was at the same
time almost demonstration against
the king, Although the explorer was
received as a returnlng victor. the king,
upon his arrival at the station to take
part in the welcome was hardly no.
ticed. But he did not let this prevent
him from giving gala dinner at the
castle in honor Of the returning trav-
eler He used the occasion, however to
express in no uncertain way his opin-
ion of the course things had taken.
Only one toast was given. and this was
by the king himself. for Nansen. But
the toast became speech of unex-
pected bitterness. After referring to the
fact that 1t had often been said that
he was no Norwegian, but a stranger.
the king turned defiantly to the rad
ical leader, ex-Minister Steen, who sat
at his side, and shaking his finger sig
nihcantly he continued: 81 look upon
1t not only as my holy duty, but l also
consider 1t my irrevocable right, to be
here as the interpreter Of the feelings
of my Norwegian subjects"
No one replied to the Ring, of course,
and the guests were glad when the time
came to leave the castle. But his maj
estys remarkable assertion was soon
under discussion from one end of Scan |
dlnavia to the other. He had thrown
down the gauntlet to Norway.
The indignation of the king grew as
he reflected upon the course of affairs,
and he decided to attend no more Of the
series Of entertainments In honor OF
Nansen. On the morning following the
castle dinner he received several news
paper correspondents, and spoke with
a freedom and Indignation seldom
known in a monarch, To one Of them