Willmar tribune., 1900-08-01
SCANDINAVIAN NEWS
Interesting Notes From Across the
Ocean.
HAPPENINGS IN THE FAIHERLAND.
Principal Events That Have Occurred
in the Old COuntrie. About the
North Sea Within Week
or So Just Past.


in the Old Countrie. About the
North Sea Within a Week
or So Just Past.
1t cannot be denied that the ever
lasting quarrels between the Firms
and the Swedes within the Finnish ma
tion itself made it much easier for Rus
sia to stamp out both languages at
once and make Russian the official,
and finally the only language. The
Firms, as late as the year 1897, felt so
strong that they directly pctitioned
the czar to make FINNISH the official
language of the country, thereby ig-
noring and offending the powerful
Swedish element. The latter protest.
ed, and the answer to the petition has
come to the Finnish people in the form
OF a manifesto, the aim of which is
gradual but relentless suppression of
both the Finnish and the Swedish Ian
guage in ''the land of the thousand
lakes" Upon the heels of this fatal
manifesto comes the order to suppress
Nya Pressen for all time. This paper
has been the most outspoken and fear
less defender of the rights of Finland.
The fate of Finland has aroused the
thinking Swedes and Norwegians to
keener realization of the fact that they
materially increase the danger from
the East by their quarrels. This SEN
timent is voiced in Malmotidningen of
July 4, which says in part: "Does the
fate of Finland teach the other Scandi-
navian peoples anything? Many things
betoken a realization of the common
danger threatening us. In Sweden it
appears as a greater readiness to make
sacrifices for the defenses of the coun-
try. Our neighbor across the Kjolen
mountains has been enthusing our
defenses for some time past, but his
aim has been to protect himself
against mis- brother to the east. Is it
not about time to lay aside the battle
trumpet of petty jealousies and think
on larger scale about the future of
the Scandinavian nations? After all,
it does not make much difference
whether you are Westgote or a Nor
wegian. man from Bergen or Swede.
A Skane man and one from Dalarne,
Norrbottning and Gotlanning really
differ far more from each other than
do Norwegian and Sw EIDE. What's
the use OF these eternal quarrels, con-
sidering that we are all Scandinavians,
that we use practically the same Ian
guage, and that we have mainly the
same customs and laws? We are also
equally interested in not being treated
to manifesto which cuts off all our
little differences by assimilating us in
the motherly bosom of the great and
holy Russian empire"
SWEDEN.
The prizes awarded to Swedish ex-
hibitors at an agricultural fair in
Odense, Denmark, aggregated several
hundred dollars.
Expensive repairs have been made in
the Vexio cathedral, and the local con-
gregation has applied to the national
government for a special appropria-
ton to cover the deficit.
Says reliable correspondent about
the concerts given in Paris by the Up
sala students; "The triumph of the
Upsala singers is is complete, and I
believe that no musical organization
has met with such a reception by the
public and the press of Paris, which is
an extraordinary eulogy. They should
return with the glad conviction that
they have powerfully contributed to
make the Swedish name popular in
Paris"
Diphtheria has broken out at the
Notviken drill grounds, eight men
being taken sick before the authori-
ties had time to adopt measures for
the abatement of the pest.
An old man at Tierp station recently
succeeded in capturing and killing five
fox cubs. Tho next day the fox killed
rooster and five hens belonging to
the old man.
The old gas works of Malmo have
been torn down, and new electric
light plant will be put up on it's site.
The king and queen visited the sani-
tarium for consumptlves- at Halahult
July 1s, and the queen went directly
from there to her summer resort at
Skinnarbol. Norway.
Bishop Billing, of Lund, is to give
Prince Wilhelm the necessary instruc-
tion for confirmation, the course to be-
gin about Sept. 1.
The decoration of the order of the
Great Cross of the North Star has been
conferred upon M. Lannesan, the
French minister of naval affairs.
A lockout IN Gothenburg threw out
of work about $50 men.
In some localities in the northern
part of the country the people have
misunderstood the nature of the test
mobilization which took place in the
southern part of Sweden few days
ago, believing it to mean a genuine
war, with Russia of course.
The clover crop is very light in
southern Sweden, and in many locali-
ties it is almost total failure. Many
farmers have already commenced to
reduce their stock, and as result the
prices are low.
Theodore Lerner, who is we'll ac-
quainted in the Arctic regions, pro-
poses that scientific societies and
maecenates raise some $25, 900, to be
paid out as bounties for finding relics
of Andree's North Pole expedition.
Mr.. Lerner thinks the unknown por-
tions of the coast of Spitzbergen, King
Charles Land and Franz Josefs Land
should be carefully searched. To en-
courage such a search it might be we'll,
to pay so much mile covered by re-.
liable parties. If such search brings
nothing new to light, Mr.. Lerner
- -. =
''the greatest tragedy of the Arctic