The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-10-28
Scandinavian Federation.

IN HERE is striking parallelism
between the present efforts Of
= Iceland to attain practical indie
pendence from Denmark and the early
stages Of the Swedish Norwegian CON
troversy The Icelanders, as the Nor,
m measure Of FIJI home rule and parliamen
tary government. What they want is
such an advance from this position as
to give them entire autonomy under
common king with Denmark, who would
take the title fixing of Denmark and
Iceland" 1t will be remembered that
the Norwegians had originally an al,
most identical ambition, their love ana
respect for King Oscar and the Berna-
dotte dynasty being such as to make
purely personal union Of this kind with
Sweden acceptable.
It is to be noted, however, that there
is no such point Of irritation between
Denmark and Iceland as NorWay's de-
mand for a separate consular system
proved between the brother folk,
And it is to be remembered, too, that
the real and basic cause OF the break
between Norway and Sweden was the
formers dissatisfaction with the de-
cided hegemonv attained by the larger
and richer member of the union. The
consular question was but the pretext
and Immediate occasion for the lneV-
table disunion. Iceland, on the other
hand, is entirely willing to leave such
matters of joint interest as foreign
policy and military affairs to be han
died as they are now.
The althing of Iceland is said to pc
the oldest parliamentary body, IN the
world. When that bleak island Of the
Norsemen in 929, they carried with
them their democratic institutions, and
the althing was formed to give every
free man voice in the islands af-
fairs. For almost a thousand years it
has remained the judicial assembly of
the island. Under later Norwegian con-
troll it survived, but when Denmark
| took the overlordship, about 1880. it
degenerated into a mere judicial trib-
unal, sitting on the Thingveller in tn
open air. The Vienna congress of 1914
still further circumscribed its powers.
/ Nevertheless, the Icelanders chung to
their historic organization, and from
time to time attempted it's revival. Sue.
cess crowned their efforts in 1874. when
the celebration of the thousandth an
niversary Of the colonization of the
island was signalized by grant OF leg
islative in addition to judicial powers
under the presidency Of the Danisf
minister Of justice. In 1904 a liberia
|
tically autonomous constitution. The
work Of the althing since its new birth
thirty-two years ago, is said to have
been very benefcent and to have
brought prosperity and progress to thi!
enlightened branch Of the Scandinavian
race.
+ !. :.
The language of Iceland is still tn
"gamle Norsk' of the sagas. the pure
old Morse of the vikings. It is NOR
ancient than any other of the Scandi
navian tongues and less corrupted b,
! outside influences. It was Iceland tina
I preserved the literature and the civil
zation of the north when their igh
1 almost died out on the Scandinavian
peninsulas. It was Iceland, too, tina
I sent or1t the acknowledgements o
America. The ancient achievements o
the Icelandic Norsemen have been par
alleled by the modern activities in lit
erature, and science Of the sturdy fol-
who wrench a difficult living from tn
10000 acres Of their volcanic island. ]
is not strange that, with such a histor
and such a character, the IcelandeI
should desire even a fuller measure Q