The Washington herald., 1907-08-18

Though Iceland lies out OF the beaten
track Of the American tourist, and Is
seldom heard Of in the daily press and
periodical literature Of the United States.
yet II is an island that possesses many
interesting associations with this eoun-
try. II is from Iceland that came the
first European discoveries Of America,
who a thousand years ago had their
prosperous settlements all along the New
England coast, as far south as Long ISL
and. 1t was 10 Iceland that Columbus
came for information about the New
World before starting of on the first of
his epoch-making voyages across the At
lantle. He is known TO have spent sew
eral months IN the great Thingore mon
astery, deiving among the old manu-
script sagas for data concerning the tenth
century Icelandic colony OF Vinland. on
the Massachusetts, coast, and it was the
knowledge thus obtained that emboldened
him TO sail on for the western hemisphere.
Iceland has furnished both TO the United
States and to Canada some Of their most
industrious and useful immigrants. and
Il now appeals TO the sympathy OF re-
publican America in fits aspirations to-
word the restoration of that republican
government under which it flourished
during the days Of its greatest prosperity
Irior to the unpopular domination of
Denmark.
Iceland's grievance against Denmark.
Ike that Of ireland against England, Is OF
an economic rather than political origin.
AS long as the Icelanders are free to
trade with whom they listed. their ISL
and hourished. They carried on an ex-
tensive trade with Great Britain and
Germany, and # was in a large measure
owing to its prosperity and to its I'M
restricted intercourse with foreign ma
tions that In pre-reformation times II
was a center OF much culture and
learning. as is shown by its beautiful
medieval literature, which exists TO this
day. and which is of such priceless value
10 students. When Denmark established
her hold upon Iceland she pledged her.
self to maintain unimpaired the advan-
tages OF automatic rule and of unhsm-
pered foreign trade until then enjoyed by
the island. But, as has been so often the
case with other countries. she failed to
fulfill her promises and gradually filched
every vestige Of that commercial indie
l pendence which had been guaranteed TO
the island by the treaty OF union. She
put a stop 10 all Iceland's thriving trade
with the Hanse cities, and especially
with Great Britain, converting II into a
Danish monopoly, run for the benefit OF
Danish and not Icelandic purses. and
not content with this. subjected the peO-
pie TO onerous taxation. without confer
ring upon them any corresponding bene-
ITS Under the circumstances II is not
astonishing that industry and commerce
should have been reduced 10 such an ex-
tent that the people lost most Of their in
terest in life Famines, sheep and cattle
disease, and epidemics Of various kinds
devastated the island throughout the
! eighteenth century. the inhabitants be-
coming so discouraged that they made
little or no efforts TO defend themselves
from the ravages Of these visitations.
and TO such condition OF restitution
and OF misery was the island reduced by
the beginning Of the nineteenth century,
that 1t was seriously proposed 10 re-
move the surviving remnant Of the pOpu-
/ lation &c the mainland, in order 10 pre-
/ serve il from extinction through gtarva-
/ ton.
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