Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1915-08-19
important Events IN Sweden,
Norway and Denmark.
BRIEFS FROM OLD COUNTRY
interesting Items From the Three
Great Kingdoms % the North 60
iected for Scandinavians and
Their Descendants.
BY MARTIN w. opLAND.
Norway.

coal and coke is threatened as re-
suit OF Great Britain's curtailment OF
the export OF coal. and in view of the
TACT that the British government may
decide upon complete prohibition OF
Its expectation. foresighted men are
beginning to look about for a substi-
tute fuel. The substitute that lies
nearest to hand In Norway Is cleo
tricity, The great obstacle in the
way OF its use for this purpose at the
present time Is the cost. However, to
meet the local situation. the manager
Of the Christiania Electric works has
recommended to the city council q re-
duction Of the price OF current used
for cooking and heating. In the event
that the situation should become par
ticuiarly desperate, he suggests that
the cooking be done In school and
communal kitchens, thereby reducing
the waste entailed in family cooking.
The Norwegian Total Abstinence
society recently held It's forty-eighth
annual convention at voss. The So
ciety IL in very prosperous condi-
ton, and its membership Ia larger
than ever before. Norwegians In
America have become recognized as
ardent advocates OF temperance
measures, and their brothers In Nor
way are turning their backs upon the
liquor traffic more and more. At the
close of the year 1914 the membership
consisted OF 43,034 men, $3.50 women
and S,432 children under fifteen
years. The suborganizations number
997 women's societies, 1900 young
peoples societies, SIC children's soci-
ties. and 917 choruses. During the
year 5000 meeting were held The
societies own property valued at L.
160,S29 kroner.
A Christiania correspondent writes
that. as was expected, the foreign
tourist traffic in Norway this year has
been reduced to practically nothing.
A few Dutch and Finnish travellers
are seen occasionally, and sometimes
a Russian or two, but not even Swedes
and Danes are seen In any consider
able number. Practically the only
foreigners that can be expected are
Americans coming from Germany,
where the growing anti-American feel
ing may cause some a them to take
an excursion into Norway. On tho
other hand, the domestic tourist travel
is much larger than usual. Nordland
has been especially much sought by
Norwegian travellers.
Press dispatches state that the
Trondhjemsfjord, freighter OF the
Norwegian-America line. was tor.
pedoed and sunk last Friday by a
German submarine The crew of 80
were all saved and landed at Copen.
hagen on Monday. August 2. The ship
was en- its way from New York to
Norway, and no reason is assigned in
the reports for the sinking of the ship
by the Germans. The Trondhjems-
ford was acquired by the Norwegian
America line last fall when the heavy
transportation demands made neces-
sary an increase of the lines tonnage.
The freighter was a vessel of 2,73O
tons net.
The German government has ex-
pressed its regrets to the Norwegian
government for the sinking of the
Morse steamer Minerva by a German
submarine. II is explained that the
officers of the submarine were under
the impression that Minerva was
British ship. The expression of re-
ret means, of course, that the German
government will compensate the own
ers OF the Minerva for the loss OF the
ship.
The city of Lillehammes is building
a waterpower plant at the Mesna falls
and hopes to realize enough from the
enterprise to pay all current expenses
and thus eliminate all municipal
taxes. The plant, 1t is estimated. viii
produce 10000 horse power. II the
citizens realize their expectations,
their: city will have a most happy
md unique distinction.
In 1910 the public highways OF Nor
way had total length of 1920 kiIo-
meters: in 1911 the total length was
1876 kilometers, and today 1t is
bout 35 900 kiiometers.
The tonnage of Norway's merchant
ieet I'm 1900 was 121,672 In 1918 the
onnage totaled 1.7e4.405 of which
,32s.si0 tons were credited to the
n O. m shin feat