The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-04-21
SCAND|NAVIANS ARE
ON JAPAN'S SIDE
Sweden and Norway Feel Safe
While Russia Is Busy in
Far East.

scandinavian peninsula is with Japan
in her unequal struggle with Russia
declared Carl Ramsberg, editor of the
Goeteborgs Misunderstanding, Gothen-
burg, Sweden, who, with Gustav E.
Reimers, of the staff of the Christiania
World, is at the Merchants hotel for
few days.
While the tone of the Scandinavian
newspapers and the talk in official cir
cles is absolutely neutral, the great
mass of both Norwegians and Swedes
cannot forget that Russia is their
hereditary enemy. They remember
that Russia has been fighting and
threatening the Scandinavians for fully
three hundred years, and the integrity
of the union of the peoples of the pen
insula has often hung in the balance
as the result of Russia's hostile attitude
or her secret Vaccinations.
That the Scandinavians have pre-
served their union and their absolute
freedom is due to no fault of Russia,
and the feeling among the people not
connected with the government is one
while not openly hostile to Russia, is
by no means friendly. They do not care
so much about Japan, and in fact know
very little of the causes that led up
to the war, but they do remember their
grievances and feel that with Russia
occupied in the far East her nearest
neighbors will be safe from her en-.
The press conservative in its
statements, and one from reading the
newspapers would mot know the actual
feeling that exists Russta's treatment
of the Firms inSthes last few years has
aroused hatred Of the Bear among
the Swedes, fer the Finlanders are
their cousins and many of them speak
the Swedish tongue.
The two newspaper men are touring
the United States for the purpose of
studying the conditions of the Scan
dinaVianS in this country. They have
been in the country for some two
months and have been in the South and
in Cuba.
I'VE found Havana a beautiful city
and one of the cleanest places in the
world" said Mr.. Ramsberg. But the
Cubans are Spaniards by descent, and
even now, while they admit that but
for the American intervention they
would still be dependents of the Span
ish crown, they are apparently more
friendly to the SpandiardS on the island
than to their American deliverers. They
are not very energetic and have a con-
tempt for the Yankee with his advance
ed ideas of push and enterprise"
Regarding conditions at home the
editors agree that the old-time jeal-
Ousy and suspicion that so frequently
threatens to break asunder the ties of
blood and. relationship that have for
years bound the two Countries together
is fast passing away = The question Of
separate cOnSuIs in foreign ports has
been an imminent source of danger to
a continuance of the union, but this is
now in process of settlement and bids
fair to be eliminated as factor in flu
ture legislation.
Separate ConsuIs in Foreign Ports.
"A commission sat all winter at
Stockholm and q similar commission
in ChriStiania in an effort to reach an
amicable agreement" said Mr.. Reimers
to a reporter. at is proposed to con-
cede separate eonsuls in foreign ports,
but the Norwegian consuls will have
nothing to do with foreign politics.
Their functions will be wholly CONNER
cial This is satisfactory to Norway
and the Swedish government has prac-
tically agreed to the concession. The
Norwegian shipping interests are so
great and cover SO widely separated
ports that they demanded some repre-
sentation. For instance, much of the
fruit trade of the south, even between
domestic ports, is carried on by Nor
wegian steamers captained and manned
by Norwegian sailors. -Four or five
hundred Norwegian steamers call an
nually at the port of New Orleans as
against possibly a. score of Swedish
steamers. 1t is manifestly unfair to
the Norwegians to maintain a Swedish
consul at New Orleans to the exclu-
sion Of a Norwegian and there are a
number of other. important centers of
trade in the shipping world where a
similar condition exists
The editors viii spend few weeks
in Minnesota and the DakOtaS visiting
centers Of population of their country
men, with special references to the
condition of the agricultural popula-
ton recruited from the Scandinavian
countries. They will visit the st. Louis
exposition where their countries will
be represented by an old-style house
built by subscriptions raised in Nor
way and Sweden by the press of those
countries. -ir- zxt.u rV-
Both the visitors speak excellent
English and unite in saying that Eng
lish has almost wholly superseded
French and partially displaced German
in the high schools and colleges Of
their countries. A school bill is now
before parliament for consideration
and with every prospect of being pass
ed before it's adjournment that Will
tend to extend the teaching of Eng
lish in the common schools, for the
leaders in thought have concluded that
English is the language of trade or