The Washington times., 1905-06-25
NoRwArs "BLooDLEss REVOLT.

io<'he Ecitor OF The WASHINGTON Times
/ read today in your valuable paper =
very interesting article on the blood.
less Revolt of Norway. The an1ia.h,.
! disposition Of the author toward the
latest newcomer among entirely separate
nations is SO manifest that he will be
sure TO accept in a friendly spirit my
caiRng his attention to a few serious
lnisstatements of historical facts. that
nave crept into his otherwise praise-
worthy review of the Swedish-Norwe-
Sian CONFLICT.
Inc Norwegian storthfng did not s.ex-s
press any preference for young Gusta-
Fus Adoiphus. who is directly In line
OF succession in Sweden He was. of
course, entirely out Of the question. and
the present members of the congress
OF Norway are evidently not political
babies.
IL is very unlikely that Norway. in
case she is forced TO adopt the republic
can form of government, for which she
IS surely ripe, and which at bottom her
people desire. will chose the famous
Drss Frithjof hansen, a comparatively
inexperienced politician, as her first
president She has lots of excellent tim
be- for the position, the present pre-
mier. Mr. Nicholson, probably stand
/ ing the best show
1t is true that Sweden Is one Of the
oldest countries of Europe. but the
welding together OF the many small in
dependent provinces of Norway to one
kingdom took place earlier, namely in
sI2, under King Harold the Hairfair.
Norway never owned herself, Why.
mercy on us. Norway owned herself
as a separate political unit for more
than five centuries. from 81 to the
union act of Calmar in 1897, and she
not only owned herself but also Ice
land. the Scottish Isles. and large
part of the present Sweden. not to
speak Of a short interval under King
Magnus ne Good, in which she kept
Denmark by conquest and another in
which king of her old national line
by Inheritance assembled also 10 the
throne OF Sweden. In the beginning
of the thirteenth century under
King Haakon HaaEonson the Old,
her standing was SO good that the peo-
pie offered him the crown of the Ro-
man Empire.
She was handed around for 400 years
from one country to another" There
was no such thing
In the closing years of the fourteenth
century she entered into a union with
denmark, as a consequence of a mar
rage between her lawful king and
Queen Margaret, whose son. Olaf mn
fortuna tely died young leaving the two
thrones to his mother. who naturally
selected Copenhagen as her permanent
residence, 1t is trFIe that Norway.
weakened by internal wars and the ter
rible Black Death, had some trouble
in maintaining her independence, espe-
ciaiiy since the common ruler from
Norway. while subject TO election in
Denmark But in 1860 he succeeded IN
establishing hlrzssef as autocratic ruler
over both kii,S0c:ns and from that time
on the two countries. always spoken
OF as Kingdoms none of them as
province) were on q fairly equal footing.
1hls Is the true story of those 400 years
co TheFe n ne Iva. was real common
Sweden. There were two separate gov
ernmentS, or councils of state on the
peninsula. but when one of them dealt
with matters having some bearing on
the other country the three members
of the government of the latter could
at the discretion o. the King be sum
moned 10 be present and have their
Sa
These are the chief mistakes detract-
ing from the glory of Old Norway
Others are innocent, fer instance the
King Oscar and his living in exile in
Denmark. and the legend about King
Oscars forty-two languages They are
interesting ducks Nothing more. As
regards the outcome CT the present
struggle. permit me 10 say that there IS
little doubt in the minds Of the l. 500 600
of good American citizens OF Norwe-
gtan descent, that their old fatheriand
Is destined TO have its own way The
enlightened. peace-loving. amiable. lib
erty-fov.nS majority of the Swedish peo-
pie Will know how to curb the possible
wariike dispositions among the high
toned of md
the rikSdag soon TO assemble viii h
sure to follow the magnanimous and
wise course of ceding to the inevitable
Then there will once more be friend
ship and peace and strength on the pen
inSuia and in Denmark And what can
the other crowned heads of Europe do
about it,
AS to that Russian scarecrow. she has
ROW decidedly deserved short nap.
Yours, truly. NORWEGIAN.
Washington, D. c.. June 49, 1906