Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1906-06-07
NORWAY.
Chrtstiania.


regarding Ibsen's death: with the
death of Henrik Ibsen there passes
one ot the Titans of literature, a
writer whose work has become a liv-
ing persistent force in the worlds in
tellectuaI life, whose first concern was
not with literary art but with man
and with actmAlities He was n
philosopher, moralist. sociologist and
social critic. as well as poet and play.
wright, but ID would be useless 10 at
tempt to classify him under any Of
these titles. Primarily thinker he
was one Of tie men who by the force
of IDEAS clear the ground of accepted
conventions ard force progress toward
new ideals. HIS influence upon the
modern drama has been in itself
momentous. As playwright he
brought TO his art skill in crafts
manship and a realism in treatment
that made him The distinctive
dramatist of ms time and brought
about a revolution in dramatic writing
His plays, too, are real plays-vertille
studies of human life and not merely
sermons in the form Of plays. But il
is not to their technical excellence nor
to the keen insight into human life
which they reveal that their profound
influence is due The authors refusal
to accept established conventions his
remorseless exposure Of the hollow
ness Of cherished ideals. political or so
cial. his ruthless sincerity in testing
all our social standards over again by
new ideals and under a new Light
these are the qualities which have
given his work it's great Importance.
That a thinker working along such
radical lines and SO merdless in his
criticism should have aroused violent
antagonism was Inevitable. On the
one hand he has been called cynical,
extreme, immoral and destructive. On
the other he has been as extravagant-
ly praised as genius whose work, II
not constructive, was useful In sweep
ing away false notions and preparing
the world for a better era. How
posterity will rank him can only be
conjectured.. but one fact may be af-
Of criticism and comment which will
follow his death there will be nowhere
denial that he was one Of the great
geniuses who forced the intellectual
world Of his time to break away from
established ideas and to think for IT.
self. Even that part Of his work
which seems to consist chiefly Of de
structive criticism of life has this
merit. that IT compels original think.
ing. In this alone his service to So
ciety has been incalc ulable."
All eyes are turned on Trondhjem,
and although the coronation is still
three weeks away the city Is filling
up with strangers. There have been
lots Of inquiries for accommodations
at all the hotels and it IL now evident
that the city will be unable to care
for the big throngs and provide for
any degree Of comfort. Most Of the
inquiries have come from England
and Denmark. but also a considerable
number from Germany, France and
Italy. Internationally there will be
many Americans attending, especially
Norwegian Americans. who are at this
time departing for Norway in large
numbers. The various steamship lines
report heavier hooking Of Nor
wegian-Amerlcans this year then ever
before and Trondhjen's population will
grow to large proportions all Of a sud
den.
Per o. Stromme will be the Chicago
Daily News staff correspondent at the
coronation festivities in Trondhjem
Mr.. Stromme will also write series
Of letters for the DEBORAH Poster.