The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-30
FIRST GOVERNMENT
FOR SPITZBERGEN
American ENJOYS Sail for Con.
ference Which Will For
mulate Laws.
RICH COAL DEPOSITS
RICH COAL DI
No Mans Land Has Attracted
Squatters and Property
Rights Are in Danger.

William Miller Collier Of Auburn y Y
who was President RooseveIt's Minister IN
Spain and Is now professor Of interna.
| tional law at New York University will
sail by the Prince Friedrich Wilhelm 10.
day for Europe to take part In a confer.
encc TO determine what kind OF gov.
eminent Spitzbcrgen ought to have.
This group of seven Islands, the north.
ernmost OF which is only 500 miles from
tne north pole, first disclosed their
| glittering peaks in 1896 to Baronts. +,
Dutch explorer. and in 1907 Uendr,k
Hudson. seeking then a northwest pas.
sage to India, came upon them His "a.
port OF the great number Of whales there
| led the English and Dutch Adventures 10
visit them frequently during tho seven.
teenth century. Seven years ago the mod.
crn American explorer arrived there II
Ia the Jeopardizing of his rights that ma.
brought about the approaching confer.
| ence.
Inexhausttble Coal supply.
II has been found that the islands. ca.
pecially West Spltzbergen, contain
seemingly inexhaustible supply of coal
The Arctic Coal Company was formed and
the development of .ie islands began.
million dollars has been Invested and 200
carefully selected men are working the
mines. Shafts have been sunk to u depth
OF 500 feet and yet the temperature In
the tunnels Is 81 degrees. The coal is
frosen when IL comes up and doesn't get
thawed out until well on its way toward
the market. The workmen live In iron
and cement houses. These houses and the
mines are lighted by electricity. There In
a wireless station and a dock for steam.
ers. Ships can reach the place only dur
ing the warm summer months There are
no saloons, no intoxicating liquors are
sold the iala nd ~.
OF the climate and the dangers OF the
work only one man has died there in the
last seven years
As soon as the American company had
established itself its Norwegian employees
began to spread the reports OF the won
ders OF Spitzbergen. There are two shifts
or men, one for winter and one for sum
mer. and as they returned to Norway or
Sweden they told about the rich mineral
deposits, Adventures were not slow TO
strike the sea trail for the islands and
sauatters began to make themselves at
nome on or near the American company's
property. There was no authority 10
drive them away. There isn't any law in
Spitzbergen Nobody owns the islands
II Is no mans land. It's like a Bit OF
the sea; anybody who wants 10 can go
there.
Norway Takes Initiative.
1t was necessary, however. that some
thing be done 80 that conflicting claims
might be settled. SO Norway invited
Sweden, Russia, Denmark, Germany, Hol.
land. Belgium. Great Britain. France and
the United States to send delegates to a
conference at Christiania at which form
OF government will be determined upon
under which property rights will be es-
tablished and future disputes will be set
tied. President Wilson named Prof. Col
lier, Albert q. Schmedeman. United
States Minister to Norway, and X. X
Nelson. an assistant solicitor In the State
Department as the American delegation.
Prof. Collier. who was at the Biltmorr
last night. said that while the delegates
would insist on a proper safeguarding OF
the property rights of Americans they
understand that the United States Gov.
eminent IL TO take no part in the new
government of Sptzbergen that will be
contrary to Its established policy respect
ing interference in foreign affairs.
This group OF Islands Is a unique
thing in International law" said Prof.
Collier There Is no native population,
and what population there IL Is not per-
manent. Those who work the mines and
live In the houses there may not go back
again when the shifts change. There
Is no authority except that of the COM
pany officials, and they have not found
IL necessary to establish even a police
force. With the exception OF few mar
BILE quarries now being developed by the
English there Is no property there othe'
than the coal mines. There are polar
bears and elder ducks, and one of our
problems will be to preserve the little
animal life there IL. We expect the con-
ming June 16.'
Mrs Collier will accompany her hus-
band. Mr. Nelson will sail by the Olym-
pic to-day.