Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1898-01-27
a REMARKABLE LETTER.

Blornssjorna Bjorneson Writes TO lola, thu
French NoveIist-The Dreyfus Case WA
the Subject-The Norwegian Novelist De-
clares that a Thousand Years of Progress
and Civilization Have Been Swept Away
by Frances Action.
NEW YORK. Jan. GA special to the
| World from Paris says:
Since the French government refused
| to permit lola to go to Devils island to
| describe Dreyfus' situation. precisely as
| tits, Bjornstjorne Bjornson, the famous
| Norwegian novelist, poet and drama
tist. has written from Rome to lola as
| follows:
VERY HoNoRED MASTER: How envy you
| How wish were in your place, in order to be
| able to render to the country and to humanity
| u service like that rendered by you.
II also have proved by experience that it is
much more periiouS to want to eradicate hatred
than love from the minds of men. a host OF
things which have for long time taken root
in the nobleSt well as the baseSt instincts of
the French people have brought a situation
so tragic that thousand years of progress
and civilization are swept away. AL
others tremble before the cries and
fury of barbarians, but they have not made
you recoiL You, alone, with Tyre and sword.
marched against millions. Is there nobleI
spectacle to be seen in the world? That was
just what France needed lean assure you that
all the peoples of Europe are gazing at France
at this moment in establishment and pain. Two
facts sufficiently explain it. The first is the In
dictment against Dreyfus. 1t is unworthy OF
men charged with immense responsible
ty. That Indictment charges DreyfuS with
showing reasonable favor to Germany. In the
evidence to show guilt it was alleged that he
could go to AISace more easily than other
French officers. That was of1cially denied by
the Asace-Lorrain government Twice in the
same year DreyfuS was prohibited from enter
ing Alsace; the third time he stated he was
permitted to spend a week there by his father,
who was i'll. Has anyone ever seen q man act
ing as spy for any country refused admission
to that country?
1.-THE imperial government of Germany more
over, has declared, officially, that Dreyfus new
er had relations With its agents. This allega-
tion of the Indictment, therefore, is absolutely
false. The second fact is that the official COM
munication made to the press affirms that the
indictment contains only part of the proof of
Dreyfus guilt, while the rest are kept secret
having been communicated only to the Judge
during the trial.
In other words, Dreyfus was not condemned
legally. He was deprived of rank disgraced
and transported beyond the seas without
legal trial, upon the unsupported opinion OF 0
few comrades.
"A government which, in the face of these
confessed facts, refuses to review the Dreyfus
court-martial, assuredly is more devoid of con-
science than any hitherto known among
civilized peoples.
THAT is the judgment of all Europe be as
sured. Furthermore, Europe admires what you
have done. always have held the opinion that
the work of romance writer or poet bears
the same relation to himself, personally, as
notes do to the bank which issues them and
which should have on hand securities corre-
spending to the issue
We see now that If your works have circu-
lated throughout the world to increase the
courage and enrich the heart of humanity it is
because you yourself are a man of courage and
heart Yours,
''BJORNSTJORNE RJORNSON