The Minneapolis journal., 1904-09-09
lVOrm,lz,s,al1heinaen
UNION SAID TO
BE THREATENED.
NORWAY AND SWEDEN.
DRIFTING APART7
Question Is Born of Certain Features
of the Trend of Events in the PEN
insula Which Are Discussed by For
eign Correspondents.

Altho there is nothing on the sur.
Sweden. are having any trouble, sew
eral writers pretend that they see dan
gerous pitfalls ahead Of the union.
Among. these, is Axel Lille, Finnish
journalist, who seems to have further
inspired correspondent of the Brook
lyn Eagle, who says:
There is unrest in both countries. There
are those who proclaim openly that the
separation is coming. They say that it
Isl only the fear of, the dreaded Muscovite
invasion that has kept it back so long, but
even this, they add, cannot prevent its
coming. Il
The dominant feeling in Scandinavia
was we'll Illustrated when that country re-
Gently declared neutrality in the war in
the far east, and expressed the desire
that there would be perpetual guarantee
Of this neutrality by the other countries
Of Europe. From time to time there has
been a noticeable tendency on the part
of Norway and Sweden to, branch off into
independent lines and form new inter-
ests that are not in union. Thus, what
Is known as the new Morse movement,
literary movement, or, perhaps, it should
be called a reform, has been instituted
in Norway and has become very popular.
with the people. It provides for a revival
Of the old language Of the Vikings into
new Norse,3 an original dialect free en-
tirely from the modern corruptions from
the Danish tongue. -
Talk Of Secession.
Another serious point of dispute-altho
an old one-is the boundary question,
Each country claims that the other has
encroached upon her territorial rights
Still another question that is being at
| nr mi mn c1xr =
two countries than any other is the de-
mand for separate Norwegian ambassa-
dors and consuls. Norway is foremost in
this demand and her statesmen have Wig
orously urged the adoption of a measure
IN the storthing bringing it about. Some
or them have gone so far as to say that
unless they are granted this demand,
| Norway will. secede from the union and
become a separate kingdom. AS to the
right-that is. the constitutional right Of
I Norway-to demand foreign representa-
ton there is great difference Of opinion
This question has been thoroly discussed
by Axel Lille, a we'll informed FVnnish
writer. In commenting on the Swedish
Norwegian treaty Mr.. Lille says:
'Altho Norway did not resign her SOW
ereignty in joining the union with Sweden
the latter has always had the ADVANTAGE
| In that her foreign minister shall advise
Cle hAllS III foreign affa1rS. This was dis
! tlnctly agreed upon at the convention It
| is now objected that, in the DEVELOPMENT
OF both countries, foreign matters are
handled only by the Swedish minister OF
foreign affairs, and that the king has
been relegated to the background y
: In 1890, when the disadvantage of an
| arrangement whereby a Swede had abso-
! lutte control of foreign affairs began to be
felt, the Objectionable clause was changed
so that it read: The: office Of minister Of
foreign affairs may be filled by either a
Norwegian or a Swede.'" u ",F;'. !
The movement on the part of the Nor.
Wegians for having their own ambassa-
doris and consuls became so insisterlt that
King Oscar appointed committee com
posed of Swedes and Norwegians to con-
slider the consular question alone: deem
ing 1T advisable to separate it from the
question of foreign minister's This COM
| mission quickly decided that each coun-
try should have its own separate consuls
SUBJECT to the government Of each col1n-
try. This, however, did not satisfy the
Norwegians, who insisted that thew
should have consuls under the direct con
| troll and responsible only to their own
Norwegian minister of foreign affairs. So
! this is the situation as it stands TODAY.
! no advance having been made one way or
the other. And in the meantime Norway '
IS hlled with complaints and the people
are dissatisfied and uneasy. ~: