Arizona republican., 1912-08-26
Spitzbergen Hitherto Mo- mans Land Being Ex- plotted by Yankee Capi- talists in Search of Sus- pected Coal Deposits.
MAVERICK OF LANDS
 BEING BRANDED
Showing Made by American
 Arctic Company Has At-
 tracted Promoters from
 Other Nations With Dan- ger of International Clash

CHR1ST1AN1A, Norway, Aug 25- The enterprise of American capitalists from Boston who two years ago start ed coal mining in the Arctic islands of Spitzbergen has brought about results
 important to the destines of that lit-
 tle-known territory. Hitherto Spitz-
 bergen has held the legal status of "No
 Mans Land" While it was supposed
 to have mineral resources no one had
 been sufficiently bold to venture capi-
 tai and human lives in an attempt to
 wrest them from the bound rocks.
 Whaling ships touched at the island
 occasionally and it has been the base
 for Arctic explorers but otherwise it
 had no use to civilization Hence it
 remained a geographical maverick,
 without nationality, laws or inhabi- tantS. No sooner had the operations of the American Arctic Company proven a success-fOr although an output or fifty thousand tons a year does not seem large to American and European mining magnates. it disclsoes possibili- ties-than promoters from other coun- tries began to descend upon the islands Claims have been located already by Russians. Belgians English and Scan- diravians. This international occupa- tion, with its chances for disputes. and l the experiences of the American com- pany have brought about a strong need l for some sort of government. Norway has made representations to the Unit- l ed States and the principal European nations in the matter, and an interna~ 1 tional conference will be held at Chris- 1 tiania before the end of the year, with l the purpose of giving Spitzbergen a | definite status. Norway has the clos- l est relations, geographical and com- | mercial with the islands, but any pro- pOsal to assert sovereignty might meet with objections from the Scandinavian 1 neighborS and from Russia. The out put of the American mine is shipped to ! Norway, and within the past year the 1 Norwesi ian government established a wireless station on Spitzbergen to l bring the country into communication l through the Norwegian station at 1 Hammerfest.
 1 The experiences of the American mining managers have been exciting
 and dangerous. About two hundred
 and fifty men. Swedes. Norwegians, i ployed in the mines The darkness and hardships of the last Arctic winter l brought them to a state of rebellion. Assaults were made on the foremen, l and during most of last winter they l lived in daily peril. When the com- pany appealed to the Norwegian gov-
 ernment for punishment of miners who
 attacked a foreman with picks they
 found that Norway had no jurisdic- 1 tion.
 1 Late in July the troubles at the mine | culminated in a general mutiny. The miners seized the steamer Alma" l chartered by the company, which was l at Advent bay and compelled the cap- 1 tain to take them to Tromsoe, where they were landed. Forty Norwegians among the number were willing to con- tinue work, but the others coerceJ l them, under threats of death, to join ! in the strike. Better barracks and higher wages were the demands made by the miners who were paid six Kron- CTS per day. but asked for seven. While
 the wage paid was a high one for the
 North. the men represent that the pe- culiar hardships of lige in Spitzbergen
 entitle them to exceptional pay.
 l Reports have reached here from St.
 Petersburg that Russia intends to es-
 tablish military stations along the Nor
 wegian frontier, such as those which
 occupy the German, Austrian and Rou-
 manian frontiers The report sta:es
 that troops are to be sent from Arch
 angel to the districts adjoining Nor l | At the congress of Scandinavian dentists in session here, pr. Hansen. a youthful Norwegian dentist. announce ! cd that he had succeeded in discovering
 the bacillus of pyorrhea alveolar!s and the means of combating the disease,
 which causes the loss of teeth. His
 colleagues assert that Hansens discov- cry is epochal in the science of uent-
 istry and represents a distinct step in