Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1914-11-26
Important Events in Sweden,
Norway and Denmark.
BRIEFS FROM OLD COUNTRY
Interesting Items From the Three
Great Kingdoms of the North se.
lected for seandinavians and
Their Descendants.
ny MARTIN W. oDLAAD.
Norway

According to the Manchester Guar.
dian, one OF the prominent papers OF
England. Christiauia IL probably the
most tastefuily laid-out capital In Eu.
rope, Paris not excepted. tTt owes
Its foundation entirely to King Chris
tian Nv of Denmark, from whom, !"
| says the Guardian, ut takes Its name,
who In or about the year 1928 decid-
ed to erect for himself new capital
on the opposite side OF the river In
| OsIa. g.. ..."
The whole OF the main streets of
the city run at right angles and are
extremely wide. Indeed, II would
hardly be nm exaggeration to call
them squares rather than streets, For
the most part the architecture is
rather heavy In design, but the clear
air that comes from the fjords tends
! To give the whole place tone of light.
nesa that II would otherwise lack.
| The River Aker contains a won.
derful series OF waterfalls In the up
per courses some little distance from
The city, where practically the whole
Of the necessary power for the ever
growing manufacturing quarter Of
| the Norwegian capital Is generated.
This quarter Is rather vigorously re-
stricted To the suburb of 5ageno. on
the north side Of the city, since town
planning IL something more than q
mere name In Norway.
| The royal palace, which was built
by Christian W. is a handsome build
ing of rather nnattractive archisec.
ture."
In letter from Ghristiania, Peer
Stromme says:
In a general way 1t may be said
that the trade end industry OF Nor.
way are thriving, In spite OF the Ecu.
rupean war, or In some cases, posi-.
bly,, because of the war. Hut there
are exceptions. The manufacture of
safety matches, for instance. IL an
important industry employing many
men In Ckristiania and its immediate
vicinity, And this industry is being
seriously crippled. The particular
kind of wood from which these
matches are made IL largely imported
from Russia, and that importation has
now been stopped. OF course. Besides
which there has, since the war be.
gan, been much dlfficulty about mar.
keting the product. So now number
of the factories have closed down or
ARE running only half time; and thus
has been increased the army OF the
unemployed, The same conditions OBJ
tain In Sweden, which country Is, to-
gether with Norway, the principal COM
petitor OF Japan In supplying the
world with matches"
Last week I quoted frem Peer
Stromme's letters from Christiania a
statement that Norway's industries
and business have about recovered
from the shock OF the great war, and
now comes the Morse government
with report confirming Mr.
Stromme's assertion, This report en-
braces 619 establishments employing
normally $4,000 men. In 326 manufae.|
turing establishments employing nor
mally 64.2i2 men, 62.0e1 or SO per
cent we're employed on September 30.
In the latter part of August these
same establishments employed only
SO per cent OF their normal number
of men. In t6i handicraft establish
ments employing A.92S men. 4.TS2 or
96h per cent were employed Septem.
Der 80. ms compared with 90 per cent
the latter part OF August In the min.
Ing industry the number of men EN-.
ployed has been increased. but In the
eleetro-chemical industry only rs per
cent of the men are employed.
According to report frua Chris.
tiania Marine Inspector Wettergren OF
the eastern district in Setway has
issued statement In which he chal-
ienges the finding of the Canadian
marine court which found the Norwe.
gian collier Storstad at fault for the
collision that resulted In the sinking
of the steamer Empress o. ireland.
Wettergren places tho blame on the
officers of the Impress OF Ireland for
not following the accepted rules OF
navigation in sailing their ship.
-
orwegian.Amerieans OF Grand
Forks. N. D.. win erect monument
In that city in honor OF Edward Grieg,
the great Morse composer. It win cost
$1,000 and the money win be raised
by subscriptions and concerts. the
first Of which viii be held December
II. 1914.
Arne Garborg, the foremost man OF
letters In Norway since the death of
Rjornson. save a lecture here in the
university a day or two ago. He ex>
pressed himself as being very hopeful
thar the worst OF the worlds troubles
are over. The war will prove, he
thought, blessing In disguise. He
submitted, also. that the one great.