Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1915-09-30
Norway.

from Christiania says the Norwegian
foreign Office has received dispatch
from Archangel, Russia. to the effect
that the arctic expedition headed by
Capt. Otto Sverdrup, which has been
searching for the Russian explorers.
Rusanoff and Brusiloff, has arrived
there, and that all the members OF
the party were well. Capt. Sverdrup,
with a crew OF 20 Norwegians. sailed
last year on board the Russian relief
ship Eclipse for the Kara sea to res
cue the geologist, Rusanoff. and the
oceanographer. Kutchin, who left
Spitzbergen for Nova Zembla In Au-
gust, 1912.
Special correspondence from Chris
tiania speaks of the sinister situation
which prevails on the North sea fish
ing banks, on account of the war. The
fishing fleets, says the correspondence,
are encircled day and night by torpe-
do boats and armed trawlers, subma.
riHes haunt the depths, and overhead
feat the giant Zeppelins and the swift
aeropianes. At night the watchmen
are frequently surprised by sudden
flashes of a searchlight from a war
ship, which subjects each vessel to
a searching examination. and then dis
appears as suddenly as 1t came At
times one can hear the throbbing Of
the engines OF ship which threads
its way stealthily through the dark
ness. but not CLEAN of light betrays
its whereabouts.
Under such circumstances the fish
ermen are compelled to be constant
| ly on their guard, and rest and sleep
are reduced to a minimum. At all
times the crew must be ready to leave
their ship at moments notice. For
this reason 1t is Difficult to secure SUI.
ficient men for the fishing vessels.
| Added to this difficulty Ia the high
cost of insurance, and the result is
that comparatively few Norwegian
cutters take part in the fisheries In
that region this year.
Some time ago representative Nor
wegian business men from various
parts OF the United States, particular.
| ly the northwest, met at st. Paul for
the purpose of organizing a body de-
signed to bring about closer CONNER
cial relations between America and
| Norway. The name selected for this
body was the Norwegian
| Chamber of Commerce, and Chicago
was selected as its headquarters, In
| preference to the Twin Cities and
New York, whose claims were cham
pioned by several of the representa-
tives. Now word comes from New
| York that a similar organization has
been perfected there under the name
Norwegian American Chamber of Com
merce, and there is a feeling In the
Northwest that the New York body
will prove detrimental to the Chicago
organization, and shows bad faith on
the part OF those responsible for the
| New York concern. The representa-.
tives from New York who participated
in the st. Paul meeting and accepted
| election as directors of the American
| Norwegian Chamber of Commerce,
l
| New York chamber. Skandinaven,
the big Norwegian newspaper of Chi
| cago, denounces the New York move.
saying in part:
Here we have the old story, so
often repeated on both sides of the
ocean: Whenever a worthy Nor.
wegian undertaking is to be launched.
n person can with reasonable assur-
ance bet his last dollar that Morse
men will be found who will place
some difficulty or other In the way of
the successful realization of the I'M
dertaking. Thus also with the blessed
chamber OF commerce"
| Replying to the charge that the st.
Paul meeting was packed by Chicago,
the Skandinaven questions the good
faith OF the New York delegates in
having taken part in its proceedings:
| Why did they not bolt Immediate
| ly? Why did they Join an Ameri-
can-Norwegian chamber of commerce,
Why did both take part In voting on
the location of the headquarters for
| the chamber And why did both Mr..
| Tokstad and MIR. Thompson accept
election as directors I'm the American.
| Norwegian Chamber of Commerceg
| Had they bolted as soon as they per.
| ceiyed that the meeting was packed.
there might have been reasonable
| ground for the step taken in the Nor.
wegian consulate in New York on Au.
gust 81"
| There can be but little doubt"
continues the paper, that this step
will arouse general i'll feeling in the
| West. Meanwhile. we shall have to
await the course to be taken by the
meeting Of the chamber in Chicago
next month. 1t is to be hoped that at
that time, ii not before, an attempt
will be made to reach an understand,
ing, so that this undertaking, which IL
embraced with SO much interest both
here and in Norway. shall not suffer
any permanent harm on account of
petty considerations
| A New York dispatch says that the