New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-10-22
THE GREAT SCANDINAVIAN PARADOX.
70 We're
efore Separat

Lyngstuen IN Norway near Tromsoe-the latter
being within thirty miles of the Russian border
me and Of the place designated as the rail-
heao or the trunk railroad of Finland In con-
sequence thereon he put forward the altogether
eAlraVagant pretension that the Lyngstuen men
uoned IN the Norwegian Finnish Treaty and
"hlch mad been confirmed in 1925 by his govern
Inent, was the place OF that name in Norway
aho not the one on the Arctic Ocean This
clalrn If allowed, would have given Russia no
less than five fiords and icefree harbors on the
Atlantic-namely, Varanger, Tana, Lana. Por-
sanger and Atlas well as the towns of Vardo
Hammerfest and Tromsoe. OF course it was
oenied by the King of Sweden and Norway
But the matter was in no way abandoned and
II was then that the policy was instituted
ny the st. Petersburg government OF flooding
Norway with a large army of secret
agents. who in the guise of innocent tour
lists were to promote the i'll will of the popula-
ton against Sweden and to foster friendship
for Russia In some cases their enthusiasm got
the better of their discretion. and thus we find
in 1910 Count Ungern- Sternberg of Russia who
claims descent from one of the Biblical three
wise men of the East, asserting orenly at from
soc that the place belonged to the Car Twelve
years afterward the Russians apparently came
TO the conclusion that the time was ripe for
enforcing their pretensions, and with this OBJ
ject in view suddenly decided to abroEate an
agreement which had been in existence for a
hundred years previously, permitting the no.
madic Laplanders of Sweden, Norway and Fin
land to cross their respective frontiers without
let or hindrance in order to obtain food for
their reindeer The wealth of the Iapps con-
sists mainly in their herds of reindeer. and
their nomadic existence is due to the necessity
of grazing their cattle which renders them of
course, Indifferent to political frontiers Rus
STA actually went TO the length Of pouring troops
into FINLAND on that occasion, with the object
OF resisting any attempt of the Swedish and
Norwegian Lapps to cross the border and re-
solved to treat any trespass on Finnish terri
tory as a casus belli Fortunately for Norway
and Sweden. the Crimean War broke out lust
about that time, and Emperor Nicholas found
it necessary to withdraw his troops from Fin
land for use elsewhere. So acute however, had
been the danger which Norway had incurred of
Russian invasion that in 1855 the King Of
Sweden negotiated q treaty with France and
more especially with England, whereby these
two powers pledged themselves to maintain with
their armies and navies, If necessary the in
tegrity of the Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway
The object of the treaty, as stated in Article TT
thereof, was to resist the pretensions or ag-
gressions OF Russia" and in return for this
promise of protection Norway and Sweden en-
gagged in Article II mot to cede or to exchange
with Russia nor to permit her to occupy any
part Of the territory belonging to the Crown
Of Sweden and Norway, nor to cede to Russia
any right Of pasturage. of fishery or of any
nature whatsoever. either on the said territory
or upon the coasts of Sweden and Norway"
This treaty, drawn up and devised by Lord
Palmerston, was announced IN the speech from
the throne delivered in Parliament by the late
Queen Victoria on January 81. 1856, and al
though little has been heard Of it until few
weeks ago. many, indeed, having forgotten or
ignored its existence. it still remains in force
The Convention of Karlstad makes it thor
oughIy clear that treaties made by the King of