Omaha daily bee., 1905-05-07
MEN MAY FIGHT BETTER NEARER HOME
Failure to Defeat Japan No Criterion by
Which to Judge.
WRITER OPENLY HINTS AT SEPARATION
Norway Must Accept Terms offered OF
Union May Be Dissolved.
PART OF NORTHERN COUNTRY THREATENED
Inhabitants of Fninmark said 20 BE
Acting More Intimately with
Russia Than with Their
own People.

STOCKHOLM, May 6.-S5pecial Cable
gram to The Bee.)-Dr. Sven Hedin is out
with another statement regarding the
Scandinavian people and the Russian en-
! pire. DR.. Hedin does not directly accuse
Russia of an intention to seize strip
of Norwegian territory which is already
almost cut off from the rest Of Norway.
But he points out that Norwegian ter
ritory presents peculiar attractions for
Ruesia-attractons which are likely to
prove more powerful than ever in the event
| of being doomed to disappointment in the
| aspirations for warm water ports in the
| Pacific. He remarks that Russia has been
taking action of significant kind in this
wild and remote region of Norway. The
whale hunters and fishers of Northern
Denmark have OF late been inviting the
Russian authorities to settle their dis
putes instead of invoking the aid of Nor
wegian authorities. There has been talk
I of connecting Port Catharine with the
Finninsh railways and it is said on good
| authority that the Russians have been
| busy making strategic roads along the
valley of the Muonio river, which forms the
eastern border of Sweden and leads to
the long marrow strip of Finnish territory
that points northwestwards to the Lyngen
ford. He argues from all this that there
is real danger of Russian aggression In
this direction; and it would be rash to
affirm that his argument is weak. He
argues that the danger will be magnified
many times by a rupture between Nor
way and Sweden. He concludes that 1t
is to the interest of both nations and to
the interest of all other nations who de-
sire to preserve the present balance OF
sea power that Norway and Sweden
should come to a friendly settlement of
their differences upon absolutely equal
terms, and he alleges that the proposals
of the crown prince regent now offer them
an opportunity of making such settle
ment
In concluding DR.. Hedin says:
If the Norwegians do not accept the
! would appear that there 10 only one al
ternatiye namely. rsXalntiesn,in Nor
the real object and purpose of the jour-
neys of the Norwegian private emissaries
namely an endeayor to win the sympathies
and support of the great powers for Nor
way in her breach Of the union. That
) for the Scandinavian peninsula, the future
of which will be enveloped in obscurity to
an even greater degree than 1t is now, and
eventualities. Then the field will be open
for the prospect which Nansen unfolded in
y | one OF MS interviews, Wnen ne spoke OF
r the possibility Of the cession Of Nor;
, wegian territory to Russia; He declared
that the Norwegians would not permit
e an inch of Norwegian soil. least Of all
a Russia. Thus. during his visit in Eng
land, Nansen has been contemplat ting the
e possibility Of a war with both Sweden
d and Russia So far as the latter coun-
try s CONCERNED he Is right; war with With
: sequence of a rupture of the Swcdish-N Nor
d wegian union. But is L wise to advocate a
: : tRropheq And can the 100000 inhabitants
Of MOrEay Grd the Ih that that
S sis? Let them not forget that though Rus
IS fiii fully " 1000 miles from home. we are not
70 do so at her own gates 1t is yet to be
y hoped that the statesmen Of Norway, In
!. view of the last proposals which have been
n IDENTIFY and deliberately. and will remem. e'T
70 is safer for both Kingdoms and especially
e for Norway, and that dissolution Of this
SR1R Nof%ay "een esn harss sh ect any eRanse
a. the political position OF Sweden, except
this that sne oaG nT iSegeo Ses owns p trooe
le for the defense OF Norway.
,e Norwegian Diplomat Talks.
lg ROME. May 6.-(Special Cablegram tC
D. The Bee )-Bjornsterne Bjorson, a wei
known Norwegian diplomat, in an interview
n on the Swedish Norwegian conflict saiC
IL this week:
e. To read the account of the Swedish
e, Norwegian conflict written by Dr. Nansei
% wegian, and then to read that which DR.
ig Sven Hedin has written from a point o
with the former to the North pole and thei
with the latter into Central Asia For tn
Al except it be looked at from the Europeai
" point Of view Europe follows with tn
re north in all that concern their remarkahl
internal development. Their external polio
OF interest only IN SO far as as IT. I f9SGr 3S
countries. Nine millions Of the Toutoni
race. and by no means the worst of It
=. | representatives, can form respectable de
10 fensive force and conutute a good ally
u Europe regards as good policy for thos
ed northern peoples that which would brin
/ them together in whatever form. Europ
n considers bad policy any that woul
tn hamper this contamination.
e- Both sides Are SHINING.
@ Sweden and Norway have sinned and ar
IS, has passed since the creation Of the unior
en- and politically We are are more widely ser
n cuihted 10 encourage the Danes to joi
with US as third party. The three, people
=, ne n on danger-Russia's desire. for expansRI
n This will ultimately be understood every
ng where, and 80 thoroughly that even witt
"a be prepared to remain shoulder to shoulde
Gu We do not need the union for that. bI
'or il might be useful 10 have a defensive all
,ts ance. In Sweden all do not seem TO desiI
such an alliance, but we can walt. Russ
has other things on her hands than III
conquest OF Scandinavia-whieh the la
@ General Bobrikon imagined he might OF
y day witness. This state of things is a
ready clearly perceived by the Norwegian
IN and, II we may Judge by their papers, ais
by the Danes. The Swedes, too are b.
than ourselves; they are less advanced tina
we ore in what concerns political form
Sweden still lacks the parliamentary spir
and the formation OF distinct parties II
to precisely this difference of populI
re- character, OF political institutions, or aloT
| feeling the custom-it Is this different
lhs created by the different history Of the tV
ul- nations that separates swedes and No
he | Wegians more than any particular issu
II II Is on account of this difference that
IhS is an absolutely hopeless task TO land Il
is union.
,ha