Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-12-26
NORWAY'S WAR TOLL !
IN SHIPS AND MEN !
German Mines and Torpedoes
Kill One Hundred and
Fifty Sailors.
GERMANY MAKES THREATS

Correspondence of The Associated Press)
Christiania, Norway, Nov. Is
Norway, with the third largest mer.
camille marine in the world, has sui.
fered severe losses. Up to date they
have totaled $50 steamers OF 235,000
tons, insured by the War Insurance
Association" for S25,000,000; sailing
ships aggregating $4,000 tons and in-
sured for 81 $4,000. and many sailing
craft loaded with lumber and pit props
for England, which were not insured.
One hundred and fifty sailors have
lost their lives, fifty of them by Ger
man torpedoes from submarines and
the others when ships have been de-
stroyed by mines. Besides these many
boats have been taken by belligerents
and conhscated after prize court pro.
ceedings.
Germany, after a few months rest
suddenly started submarine warfare
against Norwegian ships last Septem.
Der much sharper and more mereiless
than ever before--exposing the lives
of many sailors to the dangers of the
Arctic storms. At the same time, it is
declared, hostile campaign against
Norway was launched in the German
press, all of which the Norwegian PEG.
pie have been unable to understand.
The more Norway has tried to pre-
serve its neutrality, the more dissatis.
fed, according to the Norwegian
viewpoint, has the German chauvin-
istic press been, and papers such as
the koelnische Zeitung and Frank.
furter Zeitung very often have threats
ened mercantile reprisals after the
war,
Germany Angry.
Nothing seems to have created a
greater bitterness in Germany against
Norway than the governments ords
nSnces prohibiting the export Of Ger.
tain foodstuffs, which Norway needs
for itself especially the ordinance Of
last August prohibiting export Of cer-
tain kinds of fish. Although fishing is
one of Norway's main trades, yielding
a great surplus for export, since tho
war so much fish has been exported
that there has not been enough left
for Norway itself and the country has
been deprived Of one of its main food
stuffs. The export to Germany has
been increasing to such an extent that
the people demanded that the gov-
eminent should take steps to provide
fish enough for the home market.
After the torpedoing by German
submarines OF Norwegian ships in the
Arctic Ocean and along the coast this
fall the ordinance of October 81 was
passed, which, like the Swedish, for-
bids belligerent submarines the use Of
Norwegian waters.
Norway Watchful.
The Germans themselves declare
they do not need and never used Nor
wegian waters in theft warfare.
Everybody here then asks how the
Norwegian ordinance can be taken
as alone directed against Germany
and how il can be taken as an attempt
to tamper with the German machine
cry. The press--except the socialistic
papers--unanimously stand by tho
government in this case and will sup-
port its unfolding the right of NOR
way to keep the sovereignty on its
own territory.
The German press lately claimed
that no Norwegian sailor had been
killed by German torpedoing of Nor.
wegian ships. The Morgenbladet re-
calls that the Norwegian steamer
Svein Yorl, on June 9, 1915, was tors
pedoed when bound for Norway with
cargo Of coal for the steamship
line itself. Twelve of the crew lost
their lives and Germany has reeog-
nized its guilt and agreed to pay full
damage. The steamer Lougli-in bal-
last-was torpedoed without warning
and one man killed, and in all about
forty Norwegian sailors are declared
to have directly lost their lives by
German torpedoing.
Independent Attitude.
The Morgenbladet continues: IL
the German press believes it can miss
lead opinion in Norway and deprive
the government of the necessary sup
port it is greatly mistaken. Nobody
here-loving the fatherland-will in a
serious situation help overthrow the
cabinet by disclaiming Norway's
right and duty to protect the lives and
property of its citizens to the best
OF our ability We do not want to
wrong anybody. we do not want to
injure foreign life or foreign property
we only want to live by ourselves.
our own national life without being
Inundated or treated with arrogance"