Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1915-03-11
NORWAY.

lHulgnatlOn al tue sinking Oh Tue
Norwegian tank steamship Belridge
by German submarine near Folke-
stone Is expressed by the newspapers,
which discuss possible means Of de-
handing satisfaction. I'VE presume
the Norwegian government will ask
Germany to make a declaration
whether the sinking of the Belridge
was a mistake or deliberate action"
says the Morgenbladet. Presumably
neutral powers in their notes to Ger
many made all reservation regarding
compensation for life and property
which may be lost by the carrying out
of the German threat to torpedo ships
without previous examination. IL
legitimate claims of neutrals to in.
demnity are refused, the respective
countries naturally will consider the
question of placing an embargo on
German ships lying in their various
ports until satisfactory arrange.
ment is made of this economic ques
tion." The Aftenposten considers
there is no longer any reason why
neutral countries should not seek
means to avert the danger menacing
shipping The Norwegian Journal OF
Commerce says: "The torpedoing OF
the Belridge is an event which 1t is un.
necessary further to characterize. The
ship was bound from one neutral port
to another. She had been ordered to
paint the word Norge" in large letters
on her sides. which surely was done.
A repetition of the case may easily
raise the greatest obstacles in the way
of good relations with Germany,
Needless to say we shall not abandon
the right Of thousands of years to sail
the open sea as neutrals."
Outlying reefs at several points
show recent scars and masses of shat,
tered rock where the mines were flung
by heavy seas and exploded by the
contact knobs. Orders have been
given to summon the engineers of the
coast defense troops whenever a stray
mine is found. These engineers are
now familiar with the mechanism of
German and British mines and they
calmly take the dangerous contriv,
ances to pieces and extract the con.
tents for their own use. In the last
few weeks Norway has thus obtained
nine or ten tons OF excellent gun cot.
ton, transferring the explosive to its
own mines along the Christiania and
other fjords.
The stray mine peril is growing. as
scores of the deadly contrivances are
drifting up the coast, 1t is said that
apparently German mines were sown
broadcast in the North sea, while the
British strays exhibit signs of having
been accidentally torn from their
moorings.
The varteig parish has to shift with
out regular pastor because no man
can be found for the position In or
der that the people may not be en-
tirely deprived Of divine services the
pastors of the neighboring parishes
take turns to preach at varteig once
a month.
A dispatch from Nakskov, Den
mark, says the Norwegian steamer
Bjarka struck mine and sank. The
crew was saved. The Bjarka, laden
with coal, was on its way from Leith
to Nakskov.
Two Norwegian ships were sunk BY
mines and 1t Is declared by the Brit.
ish admiralty that the Norwegian tank
steamer Belridge. damaged In the
channel was torpedoed by a German
submarine. Pieces of the torpedo. it
is asserted. have been found on the
ship The Belridge was towed from
Dover to London. where II will be
placed In drydock.
The Norwegian steamer Nordkyn
has been sunk through striking a mine
near Bcrnholm island. In the Baltic
sea-