Omaha daily bee., 1905-05-21
BROIL In THE NORTH
Correspondent Tells of the Conditions
Between Norway and Sweden.
FINDS ANALOGY IN BRITISH ISLANDS
Likens Norwegians to Scott d swedeS
to People Of -
y
BOND OF UNlop y TO BE FRAlL
Wonder F. at it Has Lasted as
it Has.
BOND OF UNlop
at it Has Lasted as
J it Has.
Wonder F.
RUSSIA MAY = WATCHING ITS CHANCE
Possibility that the Gar, Rebuffed in
Asia, May Turn His Attention
to the Northw estern
Countries.
TO Be FRAIL

CHRISTIANIA May 20-(Specal Cable
gram to The Bee. )-The strained relations
between Norway and Sweden have been
brought about by Norway's jealousy for its
constitution.
One of the first violent symptoms was the
demand for separate consular representa-
tion abroad. The right to treat independ-
emily with foreign powers is also claimed.
The crown prince regent has expressed
willingness to compromise on the consular
| question and to discuss other questions at
issue. but owing to the present temper of
/ Norway he has personally withdrawn from
the quarrel and declared that it must be
| left for settlement to the state authorities.
For the root of the evil we must go back
| to the year 1914 when the two nations for
| opportunistic reasons were Joined together
! on basis of such an impractical nature
that no two ordinary business men would
| accept such lines for common agreement
of partnership, and until this evil is reme-
died there will be no lasting unity
Can any person of ordinary sense imagine
| the position of England and Scotland being
Joined under one king, but with a separate
| government and a totally separate army,
there being not the slightest connection be-
| tween the two armies except in the person
of the king the head of each, the only
practical connection between the countries
lying in their external relations. thus both
being (at presently represented by the same
foreign minister, the same ambassadors and
the same consuls.
People Are PeaceabIe.
1t must be admitted that it is a tribute
to the peaceable nature, high character
and good sense of both peoples that they
have been able under such abnormal re-
lations to get on fairly comfortably to-
gether for some ninety years. and II
would be greatly to be regretted If these
attributes should fail them now Just wher
the time is approaching when they ought
to strain every nerve and sacrifice every
personal feeling in order to render the
union stronger than ever in view of poe
, sible Russian aggression, as it must bt
, patent to every one acquainted with tho
circumstances that the present bruta
! classification of Finland is only a mean.
to an end and that a seaboard on the
Atlantic and the North in close prox
unity to Great Britain Is Russia's pros
pective object, to which It has been max
ing rapid strides lately by the endeavo
to annihilate the buffer state of Finland
We have every reason to believe tina
ballCed by powerful Japan in the east, i
may be only too eager to take an earl,
opportunity to revenge by aggression IL
the west where it has only a small ma
4 ton or unfortunately two small nations
5 of 100000 people (Sweden. 100000 ant
z Norway 100000 between 1t and tn
4 coveted prize Here 1t is that British in
terests are at stake in the present posi-
a ton between Sweden and Norway, an
a It behooves England to be on it's guard
a and If possible by its friendly offices I
: assist In bringing about a better under
A standing between Sweden and Norway
a which two countries show a most strik
ing parallel with England and Scotland
! British Analogy Perfect.
J. Any one who knows all four countrie
e thoroughly must be greatly struck by thi
10 remarkable parallel. Sweden, like England
b being the larger and richer country, wit
l. a fairly easy-going race, who forge ahea
n by their general intelligence and relatiy
= rich resources, taking life easily like tt
J. average Englishman. while the mountain
IT bred. hardy Norwegian, brought up in
q poorer country, where the struggle for lii
ia is greater, Is the exact counterpart of h
"a Scotch descendant, with indomitable el
,e ergy and, like every great Scot with
N great opinion of himself in the first plac
a. his family in the second place and his nj
"A tive town in the third place while last
"a his country is tho hub of the universe. a
10 innocent little piece OF egotism which /
"a one can blame MIN for, taxing into co
20 sideration all his other good attribute
40 But just this little piece of egotism is
- present in uanger OF losing its charact
- OF innocence and becoming dangerous
:. allowed to overrule common sense, whe
- a certain amount OF give and take al
- consequently sinking of personality {
both sides) is absolutely necessary for T.
good of the Scandinavian commonwealth
\, 1t will probably strike the practical mi
] that complete union of the two countri
on the same basis as England and Sec
o. land is the only lasting solution OF I
situation, and it ought to be the one a
Of every good swede and Norwegian
bring about such a complete union.
Educated Swedes and Norwegians und,
In, stand each others dialect without a
on difficulty the whole difference between I
its two languages not being nearly as gre
raj as between Lowland Scotch and Lond
* English. AS regards the customs dut
he between both countries It is pointed {
,aI that such a customs boundary existed
vs. tween Scotland ana England Tor more I'll
a century after the union, gradually q
in appearing, until finally abolished so
the seventy years ago, and as regards 10
nd matters each country could always reu
EN- its own local government.