Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1914-11-19
SCANDINAVIAN NEWS
SUMMARY OF IMPORTANT HAP.
PENiNGs IN FAR OFF
IL NORTHWEST.
ITEMS FROM THE OLD HOME
Resume Of the Most Important Events
In Sweden, Norway and Denmark.
OF Interest to the scandinavlans
In America. ~
NORWAY.

NORWAY.
THE Farmers House" in Chris
tiania has become divided against
itself. And the language question is
responsible for the trouble. Those who
have named the house are devoted to
the pure dialect Norwegian. They
use the upper part of the building
while people who use the ordinary
Norwegian-Danish tongue control the
lower part of the building. There are
two elevators in the building. one for
the Farmers hotel at the top of the
building, and another for the people
controlling the lower stories. One day
the top people put sign in their ele-
vator saying that this elevator was
only for the rurals at the top Of
the building. The language used on
the sign was, of couse, the purest Nor
wegian imaginable. In a short while.
however, the sign disappeared and In
its place came another sign bearing
Norwegian-Danish message. This
did not stay long. 1t looked as though
the fun had barely commenced, for
both parties were determined to fight
for their language. Then came mes
senger of peace and proposed COM
promise, which won the day. There
shall be no sign in the elevator. Thus
a local language war ended without
bloodshed.
Fire broke out In the roof Of the
Engerlalen church during service. The
fire was first noticed some distance
from the church, and those who saw
1t had presence of mind enough to send
for the fire hose of the neighborhood.
The flames had made considerable
Roadway before they were noticed by
the worshipers In the church. But
when they did see 1t they did not stop
long to ponder but constituted them
selves a fire brigade. Some went to
get ladders, some buckets and still
others carried the most valuable fix
lures out of the church. In a few
brief minutes buckets Of water began
to soar in a steady row up to the roof.
everybody taking hand, from girls Of
tender years to women of seventy
seven. The fire could not endure long
under this treatment, and 1t was put
out after eating away goodly por-
ton Of one side of the roof. Part Of
the church was flooded. But the sery-
ices. including baptism, were conclud-
ed in portion of the church which
the water had not reached.
Acting as the agent for the Norwe-
gian government, Lauritz S. Swensen
Of Minneapolis, former United States
minister to Switzerland and Norway.
has arranged an American loan of $3,-
100000 for Norway. ''Norway's credit
is good, and just like other neutral
countries, she has been put to addi-
tional expense in mobilizing to pro-
tect her neutrality" said Mr.. Swensen.
Il was asked by the government to
act as agent, and, cooperating with
agents of the Norwegian foreign Of
fee. who met me in New York, helped
negotiate the loan. The loan, as
understand 1t. is not for specific pur-
pose. but to make up the deficiency
caused by the extra expense. The
loan was obtained through New York
financial firm" Mr.. Swensen was in
New York two weeks on the special
mission.
The latest recruit to the ranks of
the Red Cross nurses is the noted Nor.
wegian actress, Lillemor Halvorsen,
who has just deserted the stage to go
to the battlefields of France. Miss
Halvorsen, who made one of the great
est successes any foreign actress ever
achieved in London by her perform
ance in Mrs. w. X. Clifford's play, "a
Woman Alone" had planned trip to
the United States to visit her cousin,
DIR. p. o. Brugge. at Perth, N. D., but
the war interfered with her plans. She
was born in Norway twenty-eight years
ago, and made her debut in Henrik
Ibsen's Little Eyolf" She made her
first appearance in London in 1918, in
"Panthea." In 1919 she was married
to the Hon. l.. Arbuthnot. who is now
fighting with the allies against the
Germans.
Two young men from Trondhjem
spent IL days hunting in the noun
tains between Mraker and Selbu, and
they returned with SOB white grouse.
The lobster catch at Hvaler is small
this fall. To make matters still worse
the prices are only about half as high
as q year ago.
The work on the wireless station
near Stavanger was progressing In
satisfactory manner until the begin
ming of the war. and at that time II
looked as II the station would be ready
before the end of the year. It now is
impossible to tell when 1t will be ready.
The sole trouble is that England has
put an embargo on the expectation OF
materials that are needed but cannot
be had from any other source. The
Norwegians are trying to induce Eng
land to permit the Importation of tho
materials needed for the station. but
1t is doubtful whether they will sue
coed.