Omaha daily bee., 1905-07-02
UNION HAS NEVER PeEN SATISFACTORY
From the First There has Been Trouble
Between United Kingdoms.
QUESTION OF EQUALITY is INVOLVED
NOrWegians lave Feared Sweden Would
Claim Superiority in Combination.
SWEDISH PREMIER CAUSED THE CRISIS
Refusal to Agree to NOrway's Con-
NtructiOn of Union Led to Dis
solution of National
Bonds.

Bonds.
HESSLEHOLM, Sweden, July 1.-(speclal |
Cablegram to The Bee.)-It can scarcely be |
said that the union of the two scandinavian |
peoples, now rudely and perhaps forever
severed, has ever worked smoothly since
its formation in 1914, yet the two lands are
kindred an speech, race and religion. For
400 years Norway had been united to Den
mark, but on January IA, 1914, by the treaty
of Kiel, the Danish king, Frederick VI,
without consulting the Norwegian people,
ceded Norway to Sweden. The Norwegians
at that time resisted the scheme, drew up
constitution, and eventually Bernadotte,
who later became Kins Carl Johan of
Sweden, consented to a convention by
which 1t was agreed that Norway was a
free, independent and indvisible king
dom, united to Sweden under king"
From that day to this the two people have
never been amalgamated; each retained its
own legislature. laws, systems of fianance,
Its own army and navy; remained in fact,
4 separate state, the golden link of the
crown being the one visible bond between
them. That link is now broken. But so
complete has been the separation in the
past that a Norwegian was a foreigner in
Sweden and Swede a foreigner in Nor
way, with the sole exception, of course, of
The reigaing monarch.
Has IL ever happened before? Has any
Sovereig. IN the worlds history ever lost
At one ~troke one-third of his subjects and
more t.isi1 one-third of his territory with
out a 5nVt fired, without a blow struck in
self-Gefeuse? As much and more indeed,
has been lost by luckless rulers but only
after hard fighting-only after some crush
Ing blow and brought the losers to their
knees and stifled the voice of protest The
kings own protest appears to be the only
one seriously lodged. Stockholm is content
to shrug its shoulders, to denounce the bad
taste of the Norwegians in choosing date
for their dlsloyalty so soon before the mar
riage of the heir apparents eldest son. and
to accept the new position one of which,
on the whole, the advantages outweigh the
disadvantages.
Question of Trade Laws.
The first question which presents itself
to the mind of a foreign observer of the
development of the political crisis in Nor
way mist be. How is 1t possible to ac-
count for the unanimity which character
ICES the demand that Sweden be compelled
TO permit Norway to appoint It's own con-
suls independently? Why is 1t that in a
nation which lacks neither political expert
ence nor a due sense of it's international
position, scarcely a voice, with one or two
notable exceptions. has been heard in pro-
test against policy which has created a
situation fraught with the utmost danger
to the union?"
The legal argument based upon the Nor
wegian constitution of 1914 and the act OF
union of 1915 is that Norway, which is de-
scribed as free and independent under
,na lipp q that al ri NJ
state so defined must be the right to APP
point it's own consuls. The principal argu-
ment is that Norway, with the fourth
largest merchant marine in the world and
rapidly developing export trade, must, as
matter of business, exercise the rights tC
which 1t considers itself entitled. FreC
trade Norway has its own customs system
and its 1wn commercial treaties, and 1t Il
not TO. be expected that its interests will
always be the same those of protection
ist Sweden. But these arguments are no
new. They have been advanced over ant
over and over again during the last ninet!
years, or ever since the union of 1915.
The remote cause of the separation beinj
evident what shall be said of the near caus
Of the immediate break7 Everything SCENE,
to be going as merry as a marriage bell an
Norwegians of all classes, both conserva
tives and radicals, began to believe tina
after all a common basis of union could sti
be found under one king. The Norwega
government submitted it's draft of the reg
ulations which were to govern the new an
Independent consular service, and the
began period of suspense.
,. Premier Surprises Norway.
The draft lay unregarded in stockholr
and It was regarded as an ominous sig
when Mr.. Lagerheim, the Swedish ministe
" foreign affairs who was known to fave
settlement on the lines of the con
nunique making concessions to Norwa!
tent in his resignation At last in Noven
ser Mr. Bostror, the Swedish premie
broke the silence in a manner which mad
Everybody in Norway rub their eyes. Tt
Norwegian draft had contained strict pr,
'isions enjoining upon Norwegian consu
he duty OF making full reports to II
minister OF foreign affairs in any matt,
which were or might become of dip
matte character and restraining them fro
holding direct intercourse except in cas-
specially provided with the foreign once
The country in which they were situate
Mr., Bostrom now proposed that the Swedi!
foreign minister should have the power
remove any Norwegian consul with who
conduct he might be dissatisfied. This w
Inconsistent with the Norwegian constit
uOn, Wlllcn provides tnal a norwegian OF
cisl can only be dismissed by the crow
and. from the Norwegian point of view,
duced the laborious negotiations OF yea
10 a moclSery, Prof Hagerup' officially d
clared that this proposition OF Mr.. Be
trom's would imprint on Norway I
stamp OF Vassal state"
III December Mr.. Bosfrom put forwa
in the name ot the majority OF his c,
leagues amended proposals. He accoi
panied these proposals with the stateme
that. though he. could not himself des,
his former standpoint he was prepared
resign II his resignation would In any W
facilitate the acceptance OF these propose
ia Norway Il was felt that proposals n
the most powerful politician in Sweden
clared himself unable 10 support had We
little chance Of being accepted In Il
country.
New Points Raised.
Moreover. the Norwegian governm,
discovered in them six new points, VIII