The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-07-14


nature.
The Contest with Sweden.
The union between Norway and Sweden
started wrong. The Norwegians secured an
equal standing in the union on paper and the
swedes had the understanding that the Nor
wegians were conquered people, who by i'm
posing upon the good nature of the French
general who became king of Sweden and Nor
way, had secured concessions to which they
were not entitled and which it would be the
task of Swedish statesmen to annul in time
to come. The two nations had hated each
other for centuries n g. and knew precious little
have gone ny, the two nations have not had
much intercourse and still know very little
to Norway or a Norwegian to Sweden he was
surprised to meet with nothing but brotherIy
kindness and cordial good will, but officially
the estrangement and misunderstanding was
Step by step the Norwegians SUCCEEDED IN
wrestling from the unwilling hands of Swed-
tending for, and everything seemed to be
coming to those who would be willing to wait
But that is exactly what our politicians were
selves before the public and secure new leases |
to1 power and SO from time to time they |
shock the bloody, shirt. And there were
efforts, men who retaliated in kind and
national vanity Their words went the
heart and the politician reaped the benefits.
A Better Understanding Now.
But of late. years the dawn OF better un-
Outstanding has been visible. ."Tis an ill
wind blows nobody good" The ruthless
Finland on the part of Russia, and the conse-
quent approach of the eastern danger to the
very doors of Sweden has had a powerful in
huence on Swedish statesmen. They have
come to realize as never before, that it will
be for the benefit of Sweden to have matters
definitely settled on the peninsula, so that
liberty in the north. And the same feeling
has spread among the intelligent elements of
do what they should have done long ago,
to get acquainted with each other. Within
the last year or two there has been a con.
military men, university students, actors,
sportsmen and turner's from one nation have
gone visiting in the other country and have
been received with tremendous enthusiasm
and overlooking good will Like long lost
brothers they have fallen into each others
arms and there has been hugging and kissing
| and endless carousing.
A Fair Compromise.
| . The disposition on, the part of Swedish
statesmen to treat Norway fairly manifested
| itself in the establishment of the joint COM
mission to consider and report on a settle
ment Of pending difficulties to the legisla-
been, at work for nearly year and a short
time ago submitted a. report embodying full
tFeCOSulC1Ou Oh Tue part OIL SWeueu u Cue
equal rights of Norway in the union, Nor
Iway to establish her own consular service,
the relations of this consular service to the
Ejoint foreign office to be regulated by laws
TO q possible future Encouragement OF the for
| eign office.
eminently fair and entirely satisfactory to
all patriotic and sensible men in Norway.
OF course the cabinet which had been party
to the establishment of the joint commission
| a proposition, recon-
mended it to the legislature to have it passed
unanimously to relieve the nation of the
constant strain of trouble with Sweden and
to lnaugurate an era of economic energies
OF distressed people? No such thing. The
premier simply in. the coolest and most in
different way stated to the parliament the
measures which the commission has recon.
mended. There was no enthusiasm about
him, rather the other way, and rumors soon
tcabinet on the subject, that certain members
Of the government, like a certain element in
the party at, large were against any agree.
, along that Norway should take matters into
her own hand, establish her own consular
service REGARDLESS of Sweden and likewise hel
} Sweden protested have recourse to war;.
Mr.. Stang's Astonishing Policy.
THE chief exponent Of this policy ii
, the cabinet has been Mr.. Stang, the secre
: tary of war. He is said to be a man of con
siderable ability, of tremendous energy ane
t overweening ambition. Mr.. Stang, then :
captain in the artillery was sent to America
during the late unpleasantness with Spain
) and his observations there seem to have slim
/ ulated his own warlike instincts to the yer!
t highest pitch. He evidently saw himsel
as the future Napoleon of the north, the val
: liant conqueror of the nation which boast
Charles XII. as it's greatest warrior king
When he became secretary of war he hat
things his own way-in the eyes of his par
take things. into his own strong hands an
3 carry out. to the letter the great promise
t made on the platforms in previous campaigns
4 rowed and voted unstintingly for militar
. preparations. Ships for the navy. were or
: dered and built in England with money
: amounts Of modern held artillery with ful
. equipment were ordered in Germany. Part
;. at least of the equipment might have bee
a furnished in Norway much cheaper, but Nj
8 Stang could not wait. Everything must b
# ready at once, and strategic points must D
e fortified at once; And few millions NOR nor
6 were built and equipped with modern guns
q No less than thirty-two such fortihcation
# were erected and by strange chance nearl
d tao tack % from eat sweden. " Mr.. Stang evidentl
h with Russia. No; Sweden, our ally an
e brother in the union was the arch enemy
= be guarded against.
g The Cat Out of the Bag.
Y Finally, at vast outlay Of money, neee:
le stating a tremendous increase In taxation
l. everything was In readiness Mr.. Stang ma
l. his forts, his ships and his guns and we
e ready to strike for glory. But those WI
y were in the. secret were not able to refrai
# from 2 little anticipatory boasting OF Il
great things we were going to do. The chai
man of the committee on military affair
casually mentioned to one of his subordinate
IS that something going to drop pret'
re soon; member Of the cabinet In an e.
20 hilarated moment made remarks to the san
ID effect and one OF the country members wi
at had gone home to Ak his political fences, il
IE-S T. sSls hat III
sr war drum would soon be heard in the va
,e leys Of Norway.
y So the cat was let out of the bag prem
st turely. And the nation, remarkably enoug
er did not respond with any particular alacrit
30 Outside the circle Of political and person
ne admirers of our warlike secretary. of war al
m the thoughtless shouters of political NEE
g. that war was not wanted Not consideril
Mt the preposterousness OF the idea Of going in
IN war on a practically empty treasury al
e. with no provision made for feeding the pc
40 pie and the army, 1t seemed almost inconcei
lis able that at the dawn of the twentieth ce
fury there could be in Norway, supposed
y, be a highly civilized country, set of m
It, SO utterly bereft of common sense and SO M
e. with aspirations for military glory, that tn
az should. for moment think of plunging t
on country into a war involving bloodshed, d
u struction of property, vast increase OF tax
On tion-a war entered upon under no compr
ne sion or necessty-merely to crafty VIII
an Of national vanity, and the result Of viii
$. in any event would be renewed hatred
OF centuries to come between two kindred n
'm I tions,, the probable interference Of the gre
Is War Ia FINALLY Averted