Omaha daily bee., 1905-07-02
ALL EYES ON SWEDEN
CONTINUED from First Page)


If they had been brought forward at an
earlier stage would have made any recip-
rocal understanding impossible. Such sug-
gestons that the foreign minister, who
has hitherto been member of the Swedish
cabinet only, should be consulted before the
persons whom the Norwegian government
might wish to employ as consuls were ac-
tually appointed and the smaller point that
In the commissions of Norwegian consuls
the name of Sweden should always precede
that of Norway when the kings titles were
recited seemed to Norwegians to be merely
an attempt to obtain legal reception of
Swedens supremacy.
If the course of events be looked at ex-
clusively from the Norwegian standpoint
the conversion of the conservatives be-
comes Ineligible. They fought hard to
get ministry in 1903 which should prevent
any impatience on Norway's part from dis
turbing the long drawn-out negotiations
with Sweden; they waited patiently through
1904 in the hope that Sweden would con-'
clude the negotiations on the principles laid
down in the communique, and when at last
Mr.. Bostrom moved it was only to bring
forward proposals which in their eyes rem
dered the negotiations nugatory They,
therefore, resolved to join with the radicals
Sweden prepared or was It not to treat
Norway as an equal? They would exercise
the right they claimed to appoint their own
consuls, and only after the establishment
OF a separate consular service would they
cross the bridge of future perplexities and
complications. AS to the wisdom of this
decision there may be many doubts, but all
appeared to think that 1t was the only
thing that could be done under the cir
cumstances.
Other Powers May Intervene.
But there is no help for It, Carelessly
and without thought for the morrow Nor
way with its population of 25OO,O0O has
thrown down the gauntlet and Sweden will
not pick it up. Perhaps some other ma
tion less philosophical than Sweden and
longer headed than Norway will There is
the crux. Divided the two Scandinavian
powers are helpless; combined they would
at any rate have won the sympathy of
the other powers.
One thing will not soon be forgotten
the fact that M Nicholson, the Norwegian
premier, has denounced the union which
has lasted for over ninety years. All of
| the speeches in the world which can pos
| sibly be made in the future cannot gloss
| over the fact that on the eve of the mar
riage of the heir-apparent's eldest son, in
| the evening of his days the aged King Os-
| car, who has only lately reassumed the
reins of government from the hands of his
| son, the crown prince, has been made to
suffer from an ignominious and in the opin-
ion of many an unnecessary insult. To
! the ordinary observer 1t would appear as
| though union would be easier between
| Sweden and any other country in Europe
than a reunion between Sweden and Nor
| IQ,,t
have happened before and may happen
again. 1t should not be forgotten that
when Denmark cast the Norwegians adrift
! nearly century ago, throwing them
| forcibiy into the arms of Sweden, the union
| at the time practically amounted to the
| welding together of the two nations, now
| torn apart by little short of brute force.
| The future of Norway appears to lie in
the hands of the Norwegians themselves
and there is not iE all Europe a statesman
wise enough to even venture a guess as
10 what that action will be.
Austria and Hungary Interested,
| VIENNA, July l.-(Special Cablegram to
The Bee. 1.-THE political separation of Nor
way and Sweden has had a powerful eff
feet upon the minds of the leaders OF
thought and action in Austria and Hun
gary Those who insist that Hungary
SnOulu De Sepdtdttu iIOhl AusNiid just as
Sweden has separated from Norway are
busily engaged in collecting signatures for
a congratulatory address to the Norwegiau
parliament On the other hand the "PesteI
Lloyd" is out with sharp protest against
comparisons between the positions OF
Sweden and Norway and of Austria Hun,
gary. Such comparisons, II says, wilfullS
underrate the Importance of Austria
Hungary and especially OF Hungary The
maintenance of the dual monarchy as
great power, Il urges, is European neces
sity OF the nrst order, On account OF theil
geographical position and historical forma
tion Austria and Hungary must exist al
one power or cease TO exist. Split into th'
monarchy would be an embarrassment fo
itself and for the world. Our stalwart ma
tionalists. adds the Poster Lloyd have NJ
sense for real dimensions In reality Hun