The sun., 1899-04-30
HOSTILE PEOPLES YOKED.
STATE or THE EyMITY BETWEEN
NORWAY AND SWEDEN.


nave been strained for so long time that
much which looks ominous to the world at
large is contemplated with comparative indif- |
ference by the two nations. Many recent
events have been treated with improper sig
nihcance by correspondents. An appropria-
tion OF several million crowns for defensive
purposes Is made to appear as menace to
peace. no mention being made OF the fact that
this appropriation has been advocated with
great zest for more than decade.
There are certain events. however. that can
not be explained away. Frequent reports of
discourtesies shown by the population OF
Chrstiania toward the heir. apparent TO the
throne of Norway and Sweden in 1icate that
something is wrong. One OF these disturb
| ances was an incident which occurred in
Chrstania recently and which was tee-
Rraphed broadcast The students OF the uni
versity and a number OF other young persons
were said TO have hssed and snowballed tho
Grown Prince on his way to the royal castle.
The reader OF this news. II he possessed any
Imagination whatever. could not help laugh
ing heartily at the thought Of the dignified
Crown Prince jumping and lodging 10 save
| his immaculate hat from ths missiles. What
really took place was this: One OF the large
| restaurants In the Norwegian capital wanted
to introduce a new brand OF beer and conceived
| tho idea OF serving 1t free during one day in
| order to advertise It. This opportunity was
| and the members of the literary and artstical
| proetariat. who are more numerous perhaps.
| than In any other city Of equal size. and are
| striving eagerly to emulate their Partisan pro-
| totypes. The result was that about midnight.
when the restaurants close. the streets were
| full OF young men In very excited state Of
! mind who howled Justly in the belief that they
| were singing patriotic songs.
| A large number OF them. were gathered
/ hA pt NJ CarlN In
front OF the royal castle. whom the Crown
| Prince passed by In his carriage. He was
greeted with q mixture OF Kisses and cheers
| and followed to'the very gates OF the castle.
| The rival factions continued their contentious
| In front OF the castle. until the guard turned
| out to chase them away. when all united in u
merry SNOWFALL war against the soldiers. One
| man was arrested and no one was hurt. The
| Swedish chaurinists laid hold OF this incident
with avidity and made the most Of it in order
| to further their agitation.
| But.a much more serious event. which took
place few days earlier. was entirely.passed
| over. 1t occurred when the Crown Prince.
now Regent OF the united Kingdoms. ar
rived In Christiania. Thousands OF people had
gathered in front Of the railroad station-a
rare occurrence in Chribtania. where little at
tention is paid to the comings and Goings Of
the royal family-but not a hat was lifted and
not a cheer was raised when the Grown Prince
| appeared No overt act. no indiscreet utter
ance spoiled the demonstration. And the
mute dissatisfaction expressed on ev cry face
must have cut the coming ruler OF the country
more deeply than anv hostile outcry.
One OF the gravest dangers 70 the union is to
be found in this aversion OF the Norwegian
people.to the Crown Prince. King Charles Nv.
the elder brother and predecessor OF the pres
ent King is alleged to have said once In a mo-
ment OF deLression:
1T will hold together In my time. and per-
haps in that OF my brother. but how his boy
will fare. that is another question"
| Whether authentic or not. this prophecy bids
fair TO come true. The last three Kings have
held their own in the hearts OF the Norwegian
people by acts which the Swedish aristocracy.
speaking under their BREATH have branded
as weak minded concessions Oscar l. gave to
Norway its own flag; Charles Nv. endeavored
| to abolish the Objectionable policy OF appoint
ing royal governors for Norway; Oscar ii. &C.
complished the abolition OF this policy and has
| tried in every way to be u constitutional mon
| arch in the English sense. Gustaru, Duke o I
Wermland and Crown Prince OF Sweden and
Norway. is credited with a strong opposition
to any compromise or yielding. lie is re-
served. conservative. slow Of action and
speech. but inflexible when once his mind has
been made up. His accession to the throne.
the NorweGians think will mean that the final
it happened some eight or ten years ago that
n member Of the Swedish Cabinet ventured to
say thar in case OF an emergency he would like
TO take q walk into Norway with 10000 men
} at his heels" Six months later he was quietly
dropped from the Cabinet, but II the will OF the
Swedish people Lad been consulted he would
I have been buried al once IN q political grave
so deep thai resurrection had he-n out OF the
question. At the present date his word might
have been received differently. Anyhow. there
is a rmm9r TO the effect that the Crown Prince
Norway at the head Of Swedish army The
, rumor has significance only because 1t cannot
be denied that the two countries are making
extraordinary efforts to make up for previous
neglect OF their defences.
4 look at the party situation IN the two
countries is necessary in order to bring these
= measures into the proler likht: Parllamen-
sweden. es The present U9nservative Cabinet
1 has held office for years without having a ma
Trt Parrty lines So are ESQ SO vague thai. 1T is hard
: to tell whether parties in the Anglo-SaXon
ea ah,e efS Snsk hs nS o @ i4 he
: first effect of the new order was that the agri-
t fy'as ;ority and Since then they have used their
t power chiefly to enforce economy in govern.
aRS to dos ih.
4 were united under the name of the Farmers,
Earty: renresentnG as such the esntre:and
: ultra-c a-conservatiyes and city radieals. The
5 'I into existence two sharply defined parties.
Z based on onpositton or adherence 70 The new
= thing lapsed into the previous vagueness, and
9 to-day the RiKsdaE has to show half dozen
Q groups that seem to have crystallized around
Il | idiosyncrasies rather than PRINCIPLES. each
r one including members OF widely divergent
= opinions.
: An indirect result OF the protectionist vic
It tory was the introduction into Swedish poli-
t tics of n scrongreement Of chauvinism. which
. since then has been gaining ground steadily
IS The advocates of q strong defence. who there
tofOre had met with scant encouragement are
:. now shaping the fate Of Sweden. and militarIsn
i is useu to crush liberalism. First Russia and
e then Norway have been employed as buSaboOs
y to compel military appropriations. Under
o this pressure the army has been re constructed
o the compulsory military service has beer
y made effective and Il new navy has been built
n which Is looked upon With admiration bN
i. European eXperts,,S2 much the more 50 he
IL cause every O5e Of the now vessels has beer
h built in Swedish Shpyards.
n The SweIIsh llksdag voted. only few dayi
= ago, to appropriate some S2.OOu,OJO for the
S. purchase OF new infantry rifles and as much fol
s. strengthening Of the fortiiications This does
not mean that the swedish people have any in
:" tentlOn Ol EOiMG 70 war with NORWAY. Win