The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-10-28
DEMANDS. OF ICELAND
FOR INDEPENDENCE
Paralleism with the Norwesian-Swedish Crisis-lce-
lands Ancient Parliamentary Body Serious Prob
lem for Danish Statesmanship Bearing on Pan
Scandinavian Federation.
BY w. B. CHAMBERLAIN.

than Denmark has gen.
erously granted. Said one of the mem
bers Of the althing who recently visited
Copenhagen on this errand:
What we demand is to be completely
and to establish a personal
union between Iceland and Denmark.
This is mere matter Of justice. and the
very independence will be strong bond
of union between the two countries. In
other words, we wish to provide for the
welfare of our land ourselves, and that
we can do this is proved by the past.
Every Icelandic man and every Icelandic
woman who is worth anything will help
in this work, and when something goes
wrong in our country we will have merely
ourselves to blame. Only under these
conditions is it possible to maintain
peaceful relations between Denmark and
Iceland
The Icelandic proposal includes an
arrangement whereby the nomina ton
of the Icelandic minister at Copen-
hagen shall be countersigned by his
predecessor instead of by the Danish
premier, and whereby he shall consult
the king and not the Danish staatsrat
in reference to Icelandic affairs. The,
supreme court Of the island is to take
over jurisdiction from the Danish SUI
preme court and the present meager
annual appropriat of 10000 kroner
(about $16,O00) is to be extinguished
by lump ng2 . appropriation of 100000
It is TO be hoped that the Danish
statesmen will find some way of ac-
cepting the Icelandic proposals in prin-
ciple. It is certainly well worth while
to avoid any such unfortunate crisis as
that which sundered Norway and
Sweden and left behind it a feeling
of unfriendleness between the two
peoples. Naturally, the great disparity
| between the wealth and resources Of
Denmark and Iceland would prevent the
adoption Of harsh measures by the
Danes, nor are the insular Morse at
all likely to become contumacious in
their demand for independence. But
they are very much in earnest and
they present problem that will test
the quality Of Danish craftsmanship.
Biornstjcrne Bjornson and other
ldealistic leaders Of thought among
the Scandinavian race will doubtless
find in this movement for Icelandic
independence encouragement for their
ton in the north. Herr Riornson has
always maintained that the practical
independence and equality of the vari-
Gus members Of this virile national
/ family was an indispensable prerequis'
tie to the formation of such q fedora
ton. When the union crisis was at its
height in the summer of 1906, he de-
plored the manner in which Norway
had brought the crisis about, tho en-
Enthusiastically supporting: as all Nor
wegians did, the ambition of thei,
country, because he feared that such
animosities and hostility would be
stirred up between the "brcther folk
as to postpone for many decades the
possibility of Scandinavian federation
This federation. he conceives, is po
liticalz necessity to protect its members
, from the encroachments of their pow
erful neighbors. Should the issue ofsIhs
revolution in. Russia be the dismem
. berment of the empire, Finland might
properly be included in such a fedora
ton. And to include Iceland, historic
, treasure-box of Scandinavian civlliza
ton, as a self-ruling and co-equal mem
= Der would be to appeal to the pride
) and imagination Of every member 81
{ the race. 49,. ..s..-.--..... ,.,,,y, --