The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-10-04

hours outside the house, but the strictest
reticence was observed, and when curl
delegates left again for Karlstad by the
6 o'clock mail last Tuesday evening,
the large number that had assembled
outside the station to see them off was
practically as ignorant of the real state
of affairs as on the occasion of their
first departure. 1t was, however, cyl
dent that something had happened. On
the first departure of the delegates, peo-
pie loudly cheered. Now they raised
their hats in silent respect, the delegates
having beforehand expressed the wish
that no popular demonstration should
take place. But even if such an appeal
had not been made, there would not
( have been any demonstration; for we all
felt that the situation was too grave
for cheering.
my last Letter 1 gaye ;yy Gg the hen re.
lions, from which T have nothing to
retract. It will be admitted that rarely
has the mere hazard played more
conspicuous part in the history Of two
nations than on the present occasion.
Today I am able to give you some IN
formation which throws new. light
on the situation and from which it will
appear that the Swedish "conditions'
as to the Norwegian frontier fortifica-
tions is the most two-edged sword
drawn in the defense Of "the legiti-
mate rights OF natlOn.
sE Origin of Qualifications Question.
This remarkable condition was orig
nally suggested by Karl Staff, one Of
the delegates who is "liberal'' in the
restricted sense in which that word is
used in Sweden. There is reason to be-
ieve that Mr.. Staff launched the pro-
opinion that the Development Of Swed
ish democracy after the dissolution Of
the union would be practically blocked
if the Swedish bureaucracy, backed by
the mighty reactionary powers in pub
lie life, should be able to bar the way
with military burdens necesstated by
the constant threat Of the Norwegian
point of view the scheme was not bad,
for it is a public secret that in the
most radical military circles in Sweden
these Notifications are used as a sort
Of fan by which the dying flames Of
war sentiment can be kept alive.
!. Unfortunately, the electors and depu-
ties, never very. clever in catching
points, totally misunderstood the mo
tive Of the Staff proposal. The scheme
seemed to them a splendid one for the
humiliation Of Norway. The press did
the rest and within short time there
was a unanimous outcry against the
Notifications from one end Of Sweden
to the other. Conservatives and liberals
forgot their party standpoints and
joined in the hue and cry against the
Norwegian foe.
a. Why Forts Were Built.
No one seems to remember that these
Notifications were built by the sane
ton Of the man who is still king Of
Sweden, nor that the erection Of them
was due to the experiences Of 1895,
when on June 7, unprepared for hos.
tilities, we had to withd draw from our
Entertainments. Here as in everything
else the .Norwegians and the Swedes,
are standing each on their side of a
mountain. We end by June as by the
natural sum of century Of wrong.
The Swedes commence by June 7 and
look at everything in connection with
that event as through a magnifying
glass Of vexation.
Great Suspense in Norway. .
Under these circumstances, the DOS
slblllty of a complete failure of the
NEGOTIATIONS. had been expected at any
must have lived here and felt the pub.
lie suspense to realize the remarkable
situation. For days we thought an d
talked of nothing but war The air
was rife with rumors; bits of gossip
flew from man to man; they increased
found access, to the homes and the
hearths,, slackened business and cen
tered all minds in an all-absorbing anx-
iety for the fatherland. But the great
nndercurrent Of all this emotion, the
sentiment that has burst out at every
moment in the most impulsive express
sions Of long pent-up passions, has been
one OF sorrow and notification. We
have felt, like our. forefathers in 1914,
the bitter irony of the isolation which
simultaneously surrounds us with the
sYmpathy and the inactivity of official
Europe. This is why we have had to
give way in the frontier fortifcation
question. a
We have been told by the great pow
ers that the claims of Sweden with Ger.
tain notifications were reasonable and
1t has been suggested that we ought to
submit to them. After all, these forti.
tications would never be Of very much
Importance to US in actual warfare,
raised as they were at an expense of
only 1915, OO0-as it was said in one
Of the leading English papers.
AS If this pettiness had ANYTHING ia
d do with the fact that owing to the pres.
sure of circumstance we. have had to
submit to discussion Of the question
whether Norway is allowed to raise on
her soil, with her own money the forti-
Il fcations which she deems necessary for
her peaceful existence! This question
has now at last been answered in the
negative, and we have to put up with It.
But it ought to be known, wherever
Norwegian hearts are throbbing for our