Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-10-15

Germans. In the Christiania Morgen-
bladet there are studiously divided
columns with exactly half German and
half English statements. A prepond-
erance of one over the other would
Immediately cause trouble, according
to the statement of the editor. In them
Verdens Gang, greater proportion Of
English correspondence gives the paper
at first glance an English tone, but any
inference of this sort is contradicted
in the editorial columns.
The statements of government Off
Gals are in the same way guarded and
non -commitaL 1t is almost as if a
law had been passed forbidding the
expression of anything except plati-
tudes. This fear of offending either
the allies of Germany inhibits the ex-
preston of Norways real attitude
toward the war.
For this reason, it Is unusually in
teresting to find beneath this unim-
peachable exterior undercurrents OF
genuine feeling. The most pronounced
of these is favorable to the allies. 1t
is quite evident that none of the
Scandinavian countries have recover
ed from the sense of injury at Den
mary's treatment by Germany at the
time of the Franco Prussian war. With
this as nucleus, sentiment against
Germany is strong enough to be called
characteristic of the present attitude
of the average Norwegian civilian.
Among the military classes there is
a leaning in the other direction which
has developed out of a fear of danger
from Russia, and a natural Scandi-
navian hatred of that nation. If 1t
were possible to obtain the net result
of these two influences, it might be
said that the present Norwegian SEN
| timent is friendly toward England
but modified by resentment at her
combining with Russia.
A crisis of supreme Importance to
Norway and Germany now seems i'm
pending. This is the question of the
use of Norway as a route for the in
PRODUCTION of food and contraband
articles into Germany. Since the
declarations of war, the Norwegian ex-
ports to Germany have noticeably in
creased. and a visit to the steamship
lines plying between Christiania and
Stettin shows the Importance to Ger
many of this channel Government
officials in Christiania stated that no
many by this route and that the Nor
wegian government would not allow
4 it, but at present Norway is under
no injunction from England not to
supply Germany with any material
she may desire.
An observer in Christiania would say
that at present enough herring was
being shipped from Norway to Ger
many to supply the whole German
army. While citizens of this city
would not directly state that they ex-
peeted trouble from this source there
were indications everywhere that Nor
way is now apprehensive of an English
challenge of her right to export and
transmit products to Germany.
A partial mobilization has taken
place in Norway. but most of the
fortified tons which have acted as
centers are so distant from Christiania
that the capital itself betrays no sign
of a European war The streets are
quiet, there is none of the feverish
anxiety in front of newspaper offices
that is common in other capitals and
towns of Europe and Christiania seems
to be holding herself from the war
with what cannot help Striking the
observer as conscious aloofness,
which is on the point ofsgiving way to
something more genuine.
The most serious damage which Nor
way has suffered from the war is that
which concerns her financial condition.
Just as she was in the midst of
developing her railways, her water
power and her agriculture, the war
suddenly cut off the capital she was
borrowing from France. This left her
with her development arrested, and
with a public dept of 100000 900 kroner,
or about s150,0O0.0OO The half-com-
pleted railways in Norway show how
her development was retarded before
it could pay returns on the borrowed
capital invested The effect of this
financial burden has been felt by every
business and industry of Norway.
Immediately upon the declarations of
war; q moratorium was declared. This
continues, and though all business is
going on as usual. with the exception
of the Bourse, it is being cramped by
a scarcity of money.