The Cook County news-herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Cook County, Minn.) 1909-current, 1916-05-17
NORWAY.

Complete disarmament for Norway
is called for in bill which has been
introduced in the storthing by the So
c1ahst faction of that body THIS
measure asks the government to frame
and pass as soon as possible a resolu-
ton or bill providing for the aband-
onment Of the whole army and navy.
1t also asks that all treaties between
Norway and other countries, which
might possibly be hindrance to CON-
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 whethe.
other nations would disarm or not.
Since the Socialists control only one.
third Of the assembly the bill now
pending vii: not be PASSED this ses-
sion, but If shey should get control
of the storth11g at the next election a
bill of this nature undoubtedly would
be passed and become a law.
It 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 TIE feeling between the
two nations was ugly, to say the least.
But naturally sI:ch things come and
go, and in the course of a few years
more the strain was relaxed When
the war came, n!ne 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 firmer 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 eyerlastingly trying to
make out that they had to take tho
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 a
few evenings ago, when the Fredrik-
stad (Norway) male chorus gave a
concert in Gothenburg, Sweden. The
NOrWegians are not up to the Swedes
as singers. But the enthusiasm with
which they we're received by 1900
Swedes that evening was something
the singers had never witnessed in
their own country. A reporter said:
1T seems as though the rejoicing
would never take an end"
Mrs. Bryn, the wife of the Norwe-
gian ambassador in Washington, re.
Gently said: II could not live in the
present day and generation without
becoming engrossed in the question of
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 a dis
lance and from private letters and
public comment, it 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, I see no reason for not
granting the right to vote to all wom-
en- who wish it. I am entirely of the
| domestic type and never felt the least
| desire to take part In public affairs.