Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1915-01-06
OF INTEREST TO-
SCAND|NAWANS
News Gathered In the Father
land and Elsewhere.

SOME ALARM FELT N NORWAY
Feared Russia Will Demand Harbor
In Event Of Victory for Allies.
Change Of Sentiment Regarding Dis
solution Of Union Of Sweden and
Norway-Russlan Charge That Dan.
Ish Newspapers Are Friendly to
Germany Officially Denied.
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+ NORWAY. +
j. j. i. + !. f. i. !. j. + j. j. f. + i.
According to a Christiania CORE
spondent many Of the we'll informed
people of Norway fear that Russia
may demand an Ice free harbor in
Northern Norway at the close Of tho
war If the allies triumph over Ger
many. They doubt the power Of Eng
land to thwart the wishes of Russia
in this direction and point to state
ments In tho English press where
hope is expressed that the cars gov
eminent may seek an outlet In some
other quarter than Scandinavia, as in
dications Of feeling In that country
that the Northern Bear may make
demands which the British govern
ment will not be In a position to re-
fuse. People who distrust Russia
find confirmation of their fears in the
fact that tho Russians have conduct
ed systematic colonization of Fin
marker, the northern district of Nor
way. They note with alarm the Rus
sian stamp that is gradually impress
ing itself upon the district. There
are Russian business houses display
ing Russian signs and Russian is be-
coming more and more a common
form of speech. Russian money is
used just as much as Norwegian mon
ey and instances are known where
Russian merchants have refused to
accept Norwegian money and have
demanded Russian money. In recent
lecture before the students society
of the University of Christiania for
mer Minister of War Bratlie express
ed the belief that England would not
be able to refuse Russia's demand for
an ice free harbor in Northern Scan
dinavia If this should be made upon
the close OF the war. Herman Ridder,
editor Of the New York Volkzeitung,
has published a statement which cor
roborates the above. He charges that
there is an understanding between
England and Russia that Russia shall
have free hand in Norway and Swe-
den in return for Russia's willingness
to relinquish Harburg and other North
sea ports to England. He says that
the foreign offices of England and
Russia have. been negotiating for
some time along the lines indicated.
What proofs he has and what value
attaches to them is not stated.
!. i. +
The stopping of the steamer Ber-
gensfjord by an English warship,
causing delay of four days, during
which time the people of Norway
feared that the vessel had been de-
stroyed by a mine, aroused a great
deal of feeling in Norway. The steam
er was stopped only a few hours out
of Bergen and was compelled to
steam back to Kirkwell. The WIRE
less apparatus was destroyed and the
captain was not even allowed to send
a message to Bergen. Also a ship
ment Of rubber consigned to q Nor
wegian importer was seized as con-
traband Of war on the pretext 1t might
be intended for the German army.
The feeling Of resentment In Norway
was further Increased by the fact
that the three commissioners sent by
the government of Norway to the
United States to negotiate a loan
were on board the Bergensfjord and
were not extended the courtesy of be-
Ing permitted to communicate with
their government. A repetition Of
such happenings as this will turn pub.
lie sentiment in Norway against Eng
land.
+ i. +
In her desire to maintain strict
neutrality Norway is even keeping
tab on telephone conversations. II
matters Of military nature are dis
cussed over the telephone central"
will disconnect the takers instantly.
These regulations have been enforced
largely as result Of the pressure ex-
erted by Germany. They have arous-
ed bitter resentment from both press
and public, but the country as a
whole feels that, being small nation,
Norway cannot afford to antagonize
the belligerents.
At one of the sanitoriums in Chris.
tiania lives a guest by the name of
Stuart, who has rented twenty rooms
for one year which he puts at the dis
posal Of English officers. New ones
come In as soon as the old ones have
sufficiently recuperated to leave. Mr..
Stuart has donated $4,000 to the Red
Cross society in London and the same
amount to the Belgians.
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Rev. J. A. Bergh, pastor in the
United Norwegian Lutheran church,
located at Elliott, ILL.,, has published
528-page history of the Norwegian
Lutheran church in the United States.
According to the census report OF
1906 ("Religious Bodies'') the Norwe
gians are le second largest Lutheran