The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1899-01-18
NORWAY AND SWEDEN.
Two Countries Nhcse Tics Are Near
tl,c Breaking Point.

Two Countries Whose Tics Are Near
the Breaking Point.
The demand of Norway and Of tho
Norwegians for political autonomy and
the reluctance or refusal OF Sweden and
the Swedes to grant it arc matters or
growing interest Tie Norwegian con-
stitution dates back to 1914. aud the
Norwegians say they withheld certain
rights which the Swedes aver were sur.
rendered sto the common monarchy
along with the right Of the king of
Sweden to declare war, make peace, con-
tract alliances, send and receive embas-
sadors and manage the foreign affairs
Of the two Kingdoms Tie exact polit-
ical relations between Norway and Swe.
den were not very clearly defined, and
as resalt of this indefniteness and
the ambiguity OF the laws concerning
them there has recently been a great
deal of friction. The most recent cause
Ct controversy arose from the alleged at
tempt of the king Of Sweden to reduce
the strength Of the Norwegian army
while maintaining large Swedish ar
my for use in the event of trouble.
The area of Sweden is 172, 600 square
miles. Thesarea of Norway is l24, 900
square miles, or considerably less The
population of Sweden is nearly 5000,
900. The population Of Norway is
100000. The population per square
mile OF Sweden is 2S; of Norway, l6
IL total population of 5,000,O 900 IN
Sweden the excess of females is 100, 600
1t is just as large in Norway in total
population of only 1000, coo Sweden
has one large city, Stockholm, with
population of nearly 900, 900 The lar
gest city in Norway is Christiania,
which is only half as large The excess
of births over deaths in Sweden is 60,
OC0 a year; in Norway it is 10000
The total emigration from Sweden IN
a year is $4,000. mostly male; from
Norway it averages 10, 600.
Practically all the emigration from
Norway and Sweden is to the United
States. There is some immigration into
Sweden; into Norway none at all The
population of both countries is mainly
rural, but more largely SO in Sweden
than in Norway. There are six times as
many Swedes in Norway as there are
Norwegians in Sweden There were
1900 Americans in Sweden by the last
census, but no Americans to speak OF IN
Norway. Financially Sweden is much
the stronger country Of the two, and
the Swedish army is generally regarded
as more formidable than the Norwegian
army, which numbers 30, 900 The
Swedish army numbers about 40, 900 on
peace footing
The total debt of Sweden is 900, 000,-
900 crowns, or about SO, coo, 900. The
total debt of Norway is 100, 600, COO
crowus, or nearly $40, ,CO0,0 900. The
revenues of Sweden are from customs
and excise chiefly, from an income tax
and from the sale of stamps. The income
Of Norway is from customs chlehy.
The rostoflice receipts are relatively
greater in Norway than in Sweden,
and the internal revenue taxes are much
larger in Sweden than in Norway. The
Swedish army costs about % per cent
of the total national outlay. The Nor
wegian army costs about one-seventh
Norway spends more relatively for Its
navy than Sweden, and the civil list OF
Sweden is, of course, very much larger
than that CT Norway. Seventy three per
cent of the forest lands Of Norway are
pine forests. Sweden by the last census
had 80, 900 miners, in the iron and coal
mines chiefly. Sweden S chief exports
are to England. The chief imports to
Sweden are from Germany. The United
States does very little business with
Sweden. The chief exports Of Norway
are to Great Britain, and the chlef I'M
ports are from that country. There are
$500 miles of railroads in Norway, and
smaller mileage in Sweden. There are
$1,000 miles Of telegraph lines IN Nor
way and $500 only in Sweden. New
York Sun