The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-12-01


II the sort can be, and the Astoian
reproduces il for the benefit OF such
,itizens as have an inherent interest
N the country under consideration, and
Ior such Others as admire such records
Is lovers of good history. The article
IN question reads as follows:
The authorities and people OF Nor
way fixed upon the s5th OF November
to receive ths new king Tey nave
chosen TO reign, but hardly To rule over
them. He was received with notable
pomp and ceremony, largely of a mari,
time character, which is an altogether
thing. sin~ the Danish
prince who is to be the king has had
his chief training in the Danish navy.
while Norway POSSESSES and succe~sful.
w conduct a commercial marine larger
in proportion to its population than any
other country in the work..
Norway has hah curious history.
Until about the opening of the seventh
century We know nothing OF it, save
only that there wTs savage pdpph
there. with small territorial chieftains,
who called themselves kings OF earls.
During about go years, ending in the
latter half of the ninth century, there
are vague glimpses of the country gath.
cred from the beginning OF the tend
ency toward consolidation of small
There was Finnish ad.
venturer who welded several of them
together as arly as the fourth century,
but such movements grew only slowly
in numbers and did not endure, until
Harold the Fair. Haired, early in the
second half of the ninth century, con-
quered all the petty tarls. and Norway
for the first time emerged into authen'
tic history.
.Harld's consolidation was one of the
world. shaping events, ons OF tho@e
which greatly Influenced The flow of his.
tory. Without it there could have bee
no such Great Britain and North Ameri.
ca as the world has known and knows.
Many chiefs who could not know Har.
old, power would not submit, and
among such followers as adhered to
him. they set out. each for himelf, be.
coming the formidable sea king, who
harrieSl the coasts even to CONSTANT.
nople, overran Spain and France and
Italy, built up an empire in the Med
iterranenan region. conquered Iceland,
discovered Greenland and probably our
continent. though they left no lasting
trace here.
"But though they abandoned America
those of them who settled down IN
Normandy laid there the foundation on
which expanded the colossal dominion,
Of the Engli,h.-peaking race today, a
governing people, that could never
have been at all without the infusion OF
Morse blood. that abandoned its own
country rather than submit to CON
.dueror even Of il, own race.
This kingdom carved out by Har-
old, sword lated for about 800 YEAR
then it, king married a Danih princes
and their -on became king OF Denmark
before hi- father died. and at the faith
cr's death the kingdom Of Norway
strangely enough, followed the man who
should have been it, king had he moi
already been. by, virtue Of his mother
king Of Denmark. of which Norway be
came sort of appendage.
For more than 400 year, the country
remained in thi, situation, bound to
Kingdom smaller than itself. till th'
Napoleonic convul.ion tore it loose ant
cast il into the arms of Sweden. wher'
IL has never been content.
Now, after j2j years OF semi-ervi
tude. it sets up for itself again am
places at it, ceremonial head descend
ant of the Danish kings who were them
selves official successors in Denmark o
the Norwegian kings during four cen
tmies. 1t seems a queer notion tina
this new king should take the name o
the next successive number Of the kin
of Norway who married the Danis'
princess lgiying al king to Denmark an
died in 1880, and Whose grandson wa
dqpo~ed from the Danish throne in l43
l-as ii succession to the crown by eleC
ton were equivalent to dynastic sue
ceosion by blood.
Charles of Denmark, now Of Norwa
Ii, TO be called Haakon Nll-Or Hag
Jas il wa- formerly called--as if sueceI