The L'Anse sentinel., 1916-03-25
important Events In Sweden,
Norway and Denmark.
BRIEFS FROM OLD COUNTRY
interesting Items From tho Three
Great kingdoms Of the North se-
Iected for scandlnavIans and
Their Descendants.
BY MARTIN W. oDLAND.
Norway.


Harry Hansen, correspondent for
the Chicago Daily News, has written
an illuminating letter from Christiania
on tho big business boom which has
come as a result OF the war. The
opportunity has made the men," says
Mr.. Hansen. Critics OF Norwegian
ways, who considered the merchants
OF Christiania as rather easy-going
and self-satisiied. have had to alter
their Judgment. There is big
group of men In Christiania who are
grasping every chance and placing the
Norwegian flag on every known trade
route. Shipping in Norway Is develop
ing along two lines. There are cap
italists like Halfdan Wilhelmsen who
arc concerned primarily with building
up great trade routes between Norway
and the rest OF the world, and there
are those like Fred Olsen who are
investing in new steamship lines wher-
| ever they can fill want. and
not necessarily confning their OPP
| crations to Norway. Both these
men have made fortunes in shipping.
They are among the men who are
looked to for hard fight against tho
great German merchant feet when the
| tonnage now idle in German ports
and interned in neutral harbors re-en-
ters international competition. In
preparation for this contest scores OF
new trading and steamship companies
are being organized. T. T.. Blichfeldt.
secretary of the trade intelligence bu-
reau of Norway an institution sup
ported by the state for the benefit
OF its merchants, informs me that di.
rect connection is now to be had from
Norway with the Canary islands, East
Africa. South Africa. Australia, the
East Indies. the Chinese coast cities.
North America, including the west
coast of the United States. ard South
America, east and west coasts, through
steamship lines organized within the
last few years. The Norwegian-Amer-
ican line. for passengers and freight,
started with government subsidy
and has many stockholders in Chi
| cago, Minneapolis and the middle West
generally. Considerable comment was
caused recently in shipping circles here
by the fancy price OF 100000 kroner
| (nearly $3,650,000) paid for the freight
steamer Beakcr. capable Of carrying
| Att tons gross cargo, which had
| been I'm the La Plata trade. AS an in
stance of the increase In freight rates
| is given the rate normally charged for
| wheat on the ship-nine shillings six
pence to ten shillings (around $2.40)
a quarter" or eight bushels, the COM
mercial unit, to 95 to SO shillings a
| quarter" ten times the original
amount. This ship was sold by Olsen.
| Olsen also has demonstrated his pro-
pressivo qualities in Just placing an
order with Burmeis,er G. Vain. tho
widely known ship builders of Copen-
hagen, for four oil.burning Diesel mo-
tor ships, of which some are to run
up to 10000 tons. In putting his faith
| in oil-burning ships Olsen is follow
| ing the footsteps OF the Danish East
Asiatic company, which Is carrying on
an Asiatic trade almost exclusively
In ships run by Diesel motors fed by
oil. The daily exports OF the stock
| exchange In Christiania, which Is
housed in a picturesque low white
building, Greek In style and about one
hundred years old, show rising prices
| and good demand for steamship
stocks. Many OF the lines are pay
| ing ten per cent on the investment.
| These steamship stocks are really
Norwegian war babies. great mum.
ber of them are quoted, and the pub
lie is busy digging into its stocking,
paying good money for share in the
earnings. It is thought in some quar-
| tiers that the old days of ruthless COM
petition, when some of the larger lines
were often accused OF rate cutting to
kill Norwegian competition. are over
and cannot return"
Stavanger factories will turn out
hundreds of thousands OF scythes for
| Russia this year. Formerly Russia
got most OF the scythes she needs
from Germany and Austria. and as she
cannot obtain them there any longer.
she has turned TO Norway.
Quite number OF Morse mechanics
are availing themselves Of the oppor-
| tunity to earn high wages In England
helping to manufacture implements
and munitions OF war. II Is said that
the wages they draw Is pound ster-
ling or IS per day. Christiania alone
has contributed about o hundred me-
chanics to EngIand's needs.
About twelve tons OF silver was TAX.
| en- out OF the Kongsberg silver mines
during the fscal year 1014-1s
The price Of oil in Norway Il now
three times the normal and this ID
partly due to the increasing popular
~ Of oil-burning vesse1s. which are
taking the placs q the coal burners.
ON has several advantages over eoaI
IN ID cheaper. more quickly loaded,
! easier 70 burn and takee % lsss room,
nus .aBording more room On tie ship
(or freight. "