Grand Forks daily herald., 1914-10-24

Christiania, Norway, Oct. 24.-The
word neutrality" has acquired a flex-
ible and variable: quality undreamed
Of by the founders Of dictionaries.
unavailing neutrality Of Belgium; the
grim. almost belligerent neutrality of
Holland, and the frightened neutrality
Of Norway.
The result of the sharp attacks on
the Norwegian press, both by the
Germans and the English, has bsen
to frighten Norway out Of any indivtd-
ual opinions Of her own. Recently
she has been charged with having sold
her press to England. She had hard
ly time to defend herself against this
accusation before there appeared in
the correspondence Of the London pa
pers severe arraignr..ent of the Nor
wegian press for having accepted
bribes from Germany. In an earnest
desire to give no color to either of
these charges, Norway has seduiously
cultivated neutrality that is beyond
reproach. OF all neutralities it is, out
wardly at least, the most perfect and
unquestionable.
- Under Suspicion. Us, ... :.
AS d 'well-known citizen Of Christi
ania remarked, Norway is in the posi-
ton Of the man brought into a police
station on suspicion; anything she
says will be used against her" This
delicacy' Of Norway's position is pa
tent to any observer who has been on
the streets Of the capital for two
hours. Men before expressing an
opinion Of any sort. reaseure them
selves Of the identity of the question
er and then look guardedly in both
directions to see that they are not be-
Ing overheard -.
Press reports have become content
with statements of purely uncontrov-
ersial matter, and the official COM
muniques of the English, French. and
Germans. In the Christiania Morgen-
columns with exactly half German
! and half English statements A pre-
ponderance of one over the other
would immediately. cause trouble, ac-
cording to the statement Of the edi-
tor. In the Ferdens Gang, a greater
proportion of English correspondence
gives the paper at first glance an Eng
lish tone. but any inference Of this
sort Is :contradicted in the editorial
The: statements Of government off,
Gals are in the same way guarded
and non-commital. It is almost as II
q. law. had been passed forbidding the
expression of anything except piati-
tudes. This fear Of offending either
the allies or Germany prohibits the
expression Of Norway's real attitude
toward the war.
The Genuine Feeling. -
For this reason, 1t is unusually in
teresting. to find beneath this unim-
peaehabie: exterior. .undercurrents :of
genuine feeling. The most pronounce
ed of these is favorable to- the allies.
It is quite evident that mono Of. the
Scandinavian countries have recovered
from the sense Of injury at .Denmark's
treatment by Germany at the time of
the Franco-Prussian war. With this
as a nucleus, sentiment against. Ger
characteristic Of the present attitude
Of the average Norwegian civilian.
Fear of Russia. .s.,s.s
Among the military classes there is
q leaning in the other direction which
has developed out Of fear Of danger
from Russia, and natural Scantfin-
avian hatred Of that nation. :tIf :. 10
were possible to obtain the not result
OF these two influences, it might be
ttment y friendly toward England but
modified by resentment at her COM
bining with Russia. :,
A crisis Of supreme Importance to
Norway and Germany. now seems im-
pending. This IL the question of the
uSe OF Norway as q route for the In
trod9ctton Of foodd and contrabandi
srticles into Germany: Since the
exports to Germany have noticeably
increased. and visit to the steam
ship lines plying between Christiania
and 6tettin shows the Importance to
Germany of this channel. Govern
ment omcials in Christiania stated
that no ammunition had been carried
to Germany by this route and that
the Norwegian government would not
allow 1t, but at present Norway IL un-.
der no Injunction from England NOT
to supply Germany with any material
she may des1re..
Herring Shipments Big. i
+ An observer in Christiania wouii
say that at present enough herring,
was being shinped from Norway 20
Germany to supply the whole German
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