Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1916-05-17
NORWAY.

/ ard pass as soon as possible resolu-
ton or bill providing for the aband-
onment of ths whole army and navy.
It also asks that all treaties between
Norway and other countries, which
might possibly be hindrance to com
plete disarmament, be either altered
or replaced by new treaties, and that
treaties providing for arbitration in
all controversial questions be secured
with all foreign nations This bill is
In accordance with the program OF the
Norwegian Socialist party. which. dur
ing the last election, advocated dis
armament irrespective of whether
other nations would disarm or not.
Since the Socialists control only one
third of the assembly the bill now
pending will not be passed this ses-
sion, but if they should get control
of the storthing at the next election
bill of this nature undoubtedly would
be passed and become law.
1t is only IL years since Norway
and Sweden were at the point of war
on account of the breaking up of the
union, which had lasted 81 years. For
a year or two the feeling between the
two nations was ugly, to say the least.
But naturally such things come and
go, and in the course of a few years
more the strain was relaxed. When
the war came, nine years after the
dissolution of the union, practically
the last traces of ill-feeling were watt
ed away over night, as it were, and by
this time the friendship between the
two nations is actually frmer and
more sincere than during the union.
The union was a great thing. But
practically it was a source of endless
misunderstanding by very large part
of the population of the two countries:
The Swedes had an idea that Norway
was sort of dependency, and the Nor
wegians were everlastingly trying to
make out that they had to take the
back seat for the benefit Of Sweden.
For years there did not pass a month
in which no innuendoes appeared in
the press of one or both countries.
Now both parties know exactly where
they stand, and the old suspicion has
gone where the old union went. This
fact was beautifully demonstrated
few evenings ago, when the Fredrik-
stad Norway male chorus gave a
concert in GotheP1urg, Sweden. The
Norwegians are not up to the Swedes
as singers. But the enthusiasm with
which they were received by 1900
Swedes that evening was something
the singers had never witnessed in
their own country. A reporter said:
TT seems as though the rejoicing
would never take an end"
Mrs. Bryn. the wife of the Norwe-
gian ambassador in Washington, re-
Gently said: 81 could not live in the
present day and generation without
becoming engrossed in the question u
feminine activity here and in the
home country. Suffrage has long been
national right of men and women
and women have served successfully
in every capacity in Christiania. So
far as l can Judge from such dis
lance and from private letters and
public comment, 1t would seem the
women of Norway are fulfilling every
civic obligation without conflict with
their domestic duties. That seems
the supreme test, and If this should
prove to be the case in other parts of
the world, | see no reason for not
granting the right to vote to all WON
en- who wish it. / am entirely of the
domestic type and never felt the least
desire to take part in public affairs.
Then a diplomats wife has so many
grave and imposing obligations that
they make for her mission in life
without considering those she owes If
she assumes the responsibility of be-
ing a wife and mother. / can quite
agree, however, with some of my
American friends that women can CO
operate successfully with men in many
phases of public life and perhaps bet
ter conditions. I am sure have, dur
ing nv many experiences of home
keening in different lands, wished 1t
would become more prevalent for
women to build homes which women
could live happily in. | was laugh
ingly told that in Washington the
manly architects plan homes in order
to make martyrs and saints of the
women. Surely there is room for the
fair sex in this line, building laws and
inspection of homes. with view to
promoting domesticity instead of send
ing families pell-mell to hotels be-
cause of the difficulties of keeping
house as the American phrase goes.
7 never could understand the hostile
feeling of men towards women If they
wish to vote. Our country offered
suffrage to women and really made
their political duties very attractive"
Halvor A. Rui. a Norwegian-Ameri-
can. willed $1,000 to the congregation
III Hol. and the money is to go towards
building a new church edifice. The
old church building is in such poor
shane that IL cannot be used any
longer for regular services. Some
parts of the building are said to be
over 500 years old. 1t will be pre-
served as historic relic. Accord
ing to the will of Mr.. Rui the new
church is to be put up at the south
end of Halsfjord, about mile and a
half from the old church. The new
site is centrally located.