The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-08-19
A DAY WITH BJORINS7JERlNE BJORNSON
THE '<GRAND OLD MAN, or NORWAY
By W. B. CHAMBERLAIN

gether. Norway is intended by destiny
to be the link between Sweden and
Denmark. Our language, our literature
and our history unite us with Den
mark, whose people sympathize with
us always in our union troubles. On
the other hand, we are neighbors to the
Swedes and have been bound in a union
with them for nearly a century. So
you see, Norway can bring them to-
gether--if only the Swedes had not
been so hurt in their feelings. You
know my great dream is union Of all
the Teutonic nations---America, Eng
land, Germany, Scandinavia and Hol-
the peace of the world How grand
that would be!
HBut now that the act of June 7 has
been done, we are all united for the
new order Of things. Yes, Norway is
now one man. There are no differences
between us-of that you may be sure.
We are by right entitled to be free
and independent, and we will never
give up our sovereignty, never. You
cannot blame us for that, We do not
want to fight, and an we scannot believe
make us fight. Yet if we must, we
shall, and Norway, now as ever, will
prove unconquerable.' -
HAnd is it to be republic or
monarchy9' I asked.
Bjornson Is a Republican.
"Ah, there is the trouble. I am a
republican-yes, always a republican.
If we had waited and broken the union
peaceably by a plebiscitum, then we
might have had republic with no one
to deny us. But now, fear, we must
have a monarchy. We must conciliate
Sweden by taking a BeSnadotte for our
king-if Sweden will be wise enough
to consent. We must gain our place
in the council of nations by having
kingdom. Perhaps Oscar will let us
have his son Eugene would please
the artists and the poets. Eugene is
a fine man, an intellectual man. He
has a fine ingenium. Perhaps he would
be the best. But I think we shall have
Carl for Carl would bring with him
Ingeborg of Denmark-and thus we
should have Sweden, and Denmark IN
and it would help the union along, BUT
some dav we shall have a republic in
Norway" &c,
"And what of King Oscar9"
HHe is a very good man, very wise
and very just. tt was not always so,
but since his serious illness Of q few
years ago he seems to have been entire,
ly made over The queen, his wife, is
a beautiful character. She is his con-
science. She is always for peace and
she is Norway's friend. We hope he
will be wise enough to give us a prince
and to gain Sweden s permission to do
so. The Swedes have been quick to
take our action as an affront and they
will be slow to recover from their an
ger. They have not taken the trouble
to inquire into the exact facts and they
have said many hard things about Nor.
way in their newspapers. But Norway
has remained patient. calm and cool.
She has not retorted, in the hope that
eventually her acts would be rightly in
terpreted and her motives correctly I'M
derstood.@ The kingsshould have come
to Norway and treated with our lead
ers as the king Of YeEWay Instead. he
was unfair Eefleu glsssf % refuse his sane
ton to the consular bill and treated
and they were foreigners. That hasa
ways been the trouble-Sweden has
wanted to look on Norway as a province
instead of an equal. The German kai
ser? He will not help Sweden. He has
been advising Oscar to make permanent
peace with Norway"
Hospitality Of Aulestad.
At last we rose to 60, but the hospit-
able poet would not hear of it. Our
train did not pass Faaberg, the nearest
railway station, until afternoon, and we
must stay to dinner and meet his family
and see the place. His hospitable com
mands were. given with such sincerity
that we had never thought Of dis
obeying. So he took us about the rooms,
showing us with evident pride his treas
ures-souvenirs Of the great personages
of the world, the painters, poets, states
men and others who had visited him.
The painting he took most pride in was
an intimate family picture of himself
surrounded at table by his wife, his
sons and daughters by birth and by
marriage, and by some artist friends.