The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-06-08
NEWS LETTER
FROM OLD
WORLD CITIES

Vienna. June 8.-The Austro- Hun
garian taxpayer has become gravely
alarmed over the fact hat the mill
tary estimates for the coming year
are nearly double the army and navy
expenditure Of seven years ago. From
government sources there have come
frequent assertions that relations with
other countries are most peaceful and
amicable. If this be true, the people
are wondering why the government
forward with a military budget,
which could not be much greater if
the empire was on the verge of war.
The sum asked by the minister of
war is 1856, 600, 600. The army wants
Sis, 10000, while the nav will get
along with $36, 900, 900. The remain
ing $4,000, 900 will be spent on the
militia n reserve forces. Seven
years ago the total budget for the
three branches of service amounted to
only 500, 600, 900, a sum considerably
less thar is now demanded for the
army alone.
The popular protest is that the
advance is utterly out of proportion
to the normal increase in the nations
financial and commercial wealth, but
the most disquieting feature is that
the present budget contains no eX-
traordinary items, so there is no rea-
son to expect that next years esti-
mate will bring any relief.
At the time Of war scares. during
the annexation of Bosnia in 1908, and
during the more recent Balkan wars,
the ministry of wal took advantage
Of the situation to procure everything
that was needed to bring the army up
to a high state of efficiency, and
enormous sums were spent on two
notifications. The rate of spending
then inaugurated seems to have been
kept UP, and each succeeding budget
has been larger than the one before.
Immense sums ave been put into
new guns, and technical equipment
for the engineers and field forces.
While it is contended that the gen
eraI increase in the cost Of labor and
materials has much to do with the
increasing budgets. the press has late
ly been discussing the influence ex-
erted by the ring Of manufacturer or
steel and ornaments.
Since Austro-Hungary started to
build ships of the d~readnought type
three years ago, the taxpayers have
been astonished to find that these
are costing many millions more than
warships of similar size and power
built by Germany and Great Britain.
The iron and steel and other mater
ials employed are all considerably
dearer than in the other two countries
named. It is charged that the gov
eminent is being held up by a ring Of
manufacturers. Since it is the set
tied policy of the various govern
ment departments not to buy anything
outside of the country if 1t can be
obtained in Austria Hungary, it has
been difficult to find a remedy for the
situation.
Apparently the manufacturers ring
constitutes a very powerful organiza-
ton. The shareholders include many
influential and exalted persons. The
shares in one of the principal ship
building concerns have risen in the
past few years from $50 to $1,S40. an
increase Of 1900 per cent.
Christiania, June 6.-The treatment
of N~orwegians at the immigration
station at Ellis Island, New York, has
been receiving criticism in parlia-
ment. Several members of the Stor-
thing have made speeches in which
they cited instances Of illtreatment
of Norwegian immigrants under de
tention there and the foreign minis
ter was asked Tointedly what he in,
tended to do about it.
The discussion arose from the
story recently published here of a Is.
year-old boy, who was detained at Ell,
lis island for a whole month before
he was sent back to Norway. 1t wa!
asserted that he was kept prisoner
and that only one Of several letter:
which he wrote ever reached it's des
tination.
The protesting members in parlia
ment did not criticize the immigration
laws of the United States, out they in
sisted that Norwegians detained un
der these laws should be properly
treated.
M. ,Thelen in answer to the inter
pretations, quoted some of, the mos
important sections of the American
immigration acts and said that to-
often the Norwegian immigrant failet
to comply with the regulations be
cause of ignorance. He agreed tina
there were cases Of exceptional sew
Gritty and cited that of q Norwegian
woman and her four children who weT
detained because the paper by whicl
the family would not become a puhli
charge was dated a year before thei
arrival. She was allowed to ente
while her a s was on appeal, afte
her relatives had raised $500 bail TO
each child, but in the meantime on
Of the children died in the hospita
through careless treatment, accord
ing to charges Of the Norwegian lie
cation in Washington.
The minister pointed out what
difficult situation the United State
has to face, with thousands of irnmi
grants, a great ma of whom wer
illiterate, constantly pouring into he
gates. He then agreed that the for
eign office should get full infornatio'
about the treatment of Norwegian
at Ellis Island which should be pub
lished, with extracts from America
immigration laws warning Norwegian
of the risks they run in attemptin
to enter the United States.
Glasgow, June 6.-The birthplace O
Rob Roy, the celebrated Highlan
freebooter, the place where he dice
and his grave have been saved by
decision of the house of lords denyin
the city of Glasgow a right to draw
la water supply from Loeb Vol an
ILoch Dome. II GIasgow's request ha,
been granted 1t would have been nee