Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1905-09-23
anniversary
celebrated her 1O2nd
Sept. 1.
NORWAY.
Chr3stiani8.

A book entitled Free Norway" has
Just been published in Berlin. The
author is August Strindberg, the great
author and radicalist of Sweden. The
Social Democrat quotes the following
from the preface: I'm my youth the
Idea prevailed among my contempor-
aries that Norway was an oppressed
country, unjustly treated by Sweden.
We agitated for free Norway and
Bjornson was our chosen hero, who
was to accomplish that end. In the
course of time Norway had apparent
~ sunk into AFFECT submission to Swe-
den, in spite of the equality nominally
guaranteed to it by the union pact.
The Swedish government had by
series Of perfidious acts broken the
agreement. The Swedish people en-
deavored to remedy this by constant
sympathy for the injured nation. We
who insisted on justice for Norway
were decried as traitors in Sweden,
and we had a bad time Of it during
the years of 1880 to 1884. Now the
work Of liberation is done, and it is
most gratifying to us who remain to
see one of the ideals of our youthful
dreams attained, while it grieyes us
to note that Bjornson himself now de-
plores the accomplished fact. 1t was
all done without him and contrary to
his wishes-peace be unto his ashes!
But free Norway in these latter days
teaches us many things. We see a
nation governed by the parliament and
the ministry, without monarch, with
out a republican president, without an
interregnum And all runs smoothly,
without hitch. SO easily are the ma
tons managed. Think what lot of
old fashioned apparatus we can dis
pense with in the shape of courts and
kings and presidents. 1t was, indeed,
huge Joke when the Norwegians re-
quested that they be given a Swedish
prince for a ruler. This is what they
had to choose from-an inspector of
cavalry, prince CarD, landscape
painted. prince Eugene), and naval
cadet. prince Wilhelm). Let us i'm
agine old, recalcitrant Norway ruled
by a young naval cadet! Still the mat
ter was taken seriously in Sweden.
Very seriously. I hoisted "clean''
Swedish flag over my rented summer
cottage a few days ago, one without
the sign of the union, for the one
brother has now ceased striking the
other. At least, we hope So"
It is surprising to any one familiar
with the situation that the press OF
the world will accept and print alarm
ing dispatches from Christiania hold
ing forth the imminent danger of war
while the negotiations have barely be-
gun, and absolutely nothing is known
from the preliminary sessions held IN
Karlstad up to Sept. Z, when the com
missioners by previous agreement ad-
journed for one week. 1t ought to ice
plain to all that the question Of peace
or war does not lie with the commits
sioners but with the Norwegian
and the Swedish riksdag;
and until they reassemble to deal
with the commissioners proposals,
nothing can be decided finally one
way or the other. The commissioners
on both sides positively asserted that
they stand ready to make reasonable
in the interest of peace
and that neither side has submitted
anything in the nature of an ultima
tum. The latest rumors of army
ON both sides of the
border have the same complexion as
those current last spring, and, more- i
over, there is not one word Of official
on which to base bellicose
Hans Mathissen, young physician |
IF Christiallia, has been arrested as !
His friends allege that |
ne is feeble-minded and should be |
placed in an asylum and not in pris-
,n Mathissen has a genius for
mechanics and is said to have brooded |
over the mistake made in his calling. /
A mail clerk on the steamer Arendal
las been arrested at Bergen for steal.
ng letters from the American mails.
Eighteen hundred letters were found, I
opened, in his possession; most OF
hese, doubtless, contained remit
ances, but the amount stolen cannot
)e ascertained. "A
A Swedish emlgrant who, with wife
md three children, has put up ats-a
lotel in Trondhjem. disappeared dur
ng the night and was found in an
,uthouse with his throat cut. He was
common laborer, and leaves his
'amily in desperate straits.