Morris tribune., 1912-07-05
OF INTEREST TO
SCANDIN AvLANS
Recent Happenings In This
Country and Abroad.
REPRESENTING KING HAAKOn

TWO Norwegian CIerayrnen Making a
Tour Of the United states~-pewager
Queen Sofia Returns to Sweden
After Spending eeneraI Months in
Germany~Dennrark Takes Good Care
Of Her TubercuIar Patients.
$50 !. :. %.s..s < = y X p
j. NORWAY. =
-. I. , = :. 4. & + = s 4 + X : e p
Bishop Peter BoCkman of Trond.
hjem and Rev Hans Nilsson Hague
representative Of King Haakon, have
recently been making tour Of the
United States in the interest Of the
state church of Norway. They have
attended several church meetings Of
Importance in the Northwest and have
been we'll received by their country
men. They are both surprised at the
wonderful industrial progress of Amer
ica but when interviewed a short time
ago and asked what they thought Of
America and its people they only re-
piled that their impressions thus far
had been very favorable. That there
is much that appears to be strange to
them on this side Of the Atlantic is
little to wonder at, for conditions in
America and little Norway are SO diff
ferent. 1t is difficult for a Norwegian
to understand the hustle and hustle
to be plain about it the rush Of this
country-and the American style of
doing business and enjoying himself
at break neck speed is something that
is truly foreign to the Norwegian
heart. Bishop Bockman is a stately
and dignifted gentleman in appearance
and is a fine scholar and finished
speaker. The two church dignitarfes
were banQueted in Minneapolis and
large number of their cOuntrymen
were present to tender them their
greetings and we'll wishes.
!. :. :.
It will interest Norwegians on both
sides of the Atlantic to know that the
Norwegian Lutherans, so long divid-
ed into Independent bands that had
less to do with one another than Pres
byterians, Methodists and Baptists,
seem to be moving toward ultimate
union. The United Church, in its re.
cent session In Fargo, and the Hauge
synod, in it's last session at Red Wing,
Mimi, both approved of the special
committees report, representing these
two synods and the old Norwegian
body, which advised union and handed
down their recommendations to the
three bodies. This is one of the most
interesting movements within the
Lutheran church in America and is
fraught with great possibilities. The
doctrinal difficulties that were once
in the way Of union seem now to be
removed, though there is no denying
the fact that the real obstacle that
has prevented union is difference in
temper and spirit. There is an emo
tional and liberal element among the
Norwegians, also-a dOctrinal and con-
sentative element, and then there is
a third element more Or less between
the two. Separation has accentuated
these tendencies; union ought to make
them stand out less prominent.
I. f +
At the recent convention of the
United Norwegian church at Fargo, N.
D., complaint of unjust treatment by
the French government was made by
the secretary of missions, Rev. Mr..
Saterlle. 1t is claimed by him that
every possible obstacle, even to the
extent of confiscating property, is
thrown in the way of these Lutheran
missionaries to discourage and HIN
der their work. While the English
missionaries are meeting with civil
treatment the NUrwegians are being
subjected to all sorts of iutrigues to
thWart their efforts to extend the
kingdom Of Christ. AS the English
government has been called upon to
protect its missionaries it is believed
that unjust and oppressive measures
on the part Of the French officials will
not cease until an appeal for interveTr
ton is made by the United States
After q rather. warm discussion the