Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1915-03-03
OF INTEREST To-
SCANDINAv|ANS.
News Gathered in the Father
land and Elsewhere.
GREAT VIGILANCE EXERCISED
Norwegian Shippers Continue SaiIings
Despite Germany's Blockade Of
the British Isles.

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!: NORWAY. j.
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No sailings to British ports have
been cancelled in Christiania in spite
of the German blockade and few ships
are taking the precaution to display
in large letters on their sides the
names and the national colors. Al.
though Swedish marine insurance to
Great Britain has been doubled be-
cause Of the blockade and some Brit
ish sailings from Sweden have been
cancelled the Norwegian rates have
not been changed. Extreme vigilance
is exercised at the ford ports, not
even sailing boats being allowed to
approach Bergen or Christiania after
dark. All night searchlights sweep
the fjords and magnesium rockets
are held in readiness to be fired over
suspicious vessels. The whole length
of the Christiania ford is mined. The
stray mine peril is growing, as scores
of the deadly contrivances are drift
ing up the coast. It is said in Chris
tiania that apparently German mines
were sown broadcast in the North sea,
while the British strays exhibit signs
of having been accidentally torn from
their mornings. Outlying reefs at sew
eral points show recent scars and
masses of shattered rock where the
mines were flung by heavy seas and
exploded by the contact knobs. Or
ders have been given to summon the
engineers of the coast defense troops
whene:?e; stray mine is found. These
engineers are now familiar with the
mechanism of German and British
mines and they calmly take the dan
gerous contrivances to pieces and ex-
tract the contents for their own use
In the last few weeks Norway has
thus obtained nine or ten tons of ex-
cellent guncotton, transferring the ex-
plosive to its own mines along the
Christiania and other fjords. Before
destroying the mines the searchers
make a careful report as to their con-
dition and probable source. Two Of
these found recently were English, &C.
cording to the Norwegian admiralty's
report. Most of the mines appear to
come from the southern part of the
North sea, probably from the mouth
of the Elbe. The largest mine thus
far discovered in Norwegian waters
contained over $50 pounds of explo-
sive. London dispatches state Scandi-
navian neutrals are showing much
alarm over the German submarine
blockade, great sensation having
been caused in those countries by the
torpedoing of the Norwegian steam
ship Belridge off Folkestone. Repre-
sentatives of the Scandinavian gov
ernments are planning ways and
means to protect their mutual inter-
ests.
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Norway's shipping magazine brings
out very forcibly the vast importance
to Norway of the maintenance of
ocean commerce, which is being so
seriously threatened by Germany and
England. The stoppage of this CON-
merce, says the magazine, would mean
loss to Norway of half a million
crowns per day in gross receipts, and
cessation OF exports to the value OF
one million crowns per day. The stop
page of ocean commerce would mean
the closing of factories and mines. 1t
would mean the cutting OF of food
supplies, bringing back conditions
worse than they were 100 years ago,
when England blockaded the coasts
of Norway. The magazine pays a
tribute to the Morse sailors for their
skill in navigating seas where light
houses have been extinguished and
where mines endanger their safe pas
sage, with so little loss of life and
property. Much courage, ability, SELF
sacrifice and loyalty have been mani
tested by the Morse sailor in these
days, it is declared.
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The government is expected to get
an appropriation of $1,000 for three
portable wireless stations. This is
something new in Norway and it is
expected to be of great use during the
fishing seasons. The fish often come
suddenly and leave just as suddenly.
In no industry is it of greater impor-
lance to watch the right moment.
There are telephone connections all
along the shore of the mainland. But
often the fish appear far from the
mainland. To keep the country post
ed on the behavior of the fish out
there has been a difficult matter and