Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1916-03-02
Denmark.

According to dispatch from Copen,
hagen, the recent strike OF negroes
In the Danish West Indies has re-
opened the old question of the sale
of the islands to the United States.
II the question of the sale comes up
again I'm parliament, the general belief
here Is that 1T will receive favorable
majority In both houses, provided the
United States offers greater sum
than the 100000 offered In 1901. Nj
Hageman, the wealthiest planter In
the Danish West Indies, has just pub
lished here q pamphlet on the situa-
ton from the point of view OF the
most influential Danish residents OF
the colony. M. Hageman favors the
sale. In the pamphlet he recognizes
the efforts made by the Danes to i'm
prove conditions In the island, but
views their future under Danish rule
pessimistically.
Negotiations have been carried on
at different times In former years be-
tween Denmark and the United States
In regard to the transfer OF the Dan
ish West Indies to the American re-
public, but nothing resulted. The
islands include st. Thomas. st. Croix
and St John and lie east of Porto
Rico, which is already in the posses
sion of the United States.
Norway.
According to the statistics OF the
Norwegian Veritas. which corresponds
to the Lloyds Of England, Norway's
merchant fleet, at the beginning OF
the year 1916, was composed of 2,159
ships of over 100 tons each and to-
tai tonnage Of 2,576,2fS. Steam and
motorboats composed 1901 of the to-
tai, with a tonnage of 2,071,9s3. and
sailing ships numbered 45S. with a
tonnage of 504,235. Steamship tonnage
had increased by 99.730 tons over the
preceding year, and sailing ships ton
mage had decreased by 1860. The port
of Christiania has led In the increase
of the shipping with II ships and So, 900
tons and Haugesund Is second with
IL vessels and $4,000 tons. Chris
tiania also leads In total shipping with
401 ships and 56S,944 tons. Bergen
ranks next with 392 ships and SAC, 226
tons. The ports next in order are
Tonsberg, Haugesund, Christiansand,
Drammen. Stavanger, Sandefjord, and
Trondhjem. Christiania has the larg
est sailing feet while Bergen leads In
steamships. The total shipping of the
world, as computed in 1918, was 26.-
GIT vessels and 0.40s,000 tons.
Mowinckel was elected president of
the storthing, which convened Janu-
airy q.
DR.. Sigurd Ibsen has forbidden the
exhibition of motion picture films OF
Henrik Ibsen's Gjengangere in Nor
way. Sweden and Denmark. The play
was produced by an American film
company and an attempt was recently
made to@show 1t at Stockholm. Doc
tor Isben has control of the exhibit
ton of film productions of his father 8
plays In the three Scandinavian coun-
tries, but no control in other coun.
| tries.
During the past year 1876 students
OF the University OF Christiania, who
were candidates for graduation, failed
! to pass. while S4S candidates were
| successful. The percentage of failures
seems staggeringly large.
Even office boys and school children
have been specializing in stock, eager
| to get rich quick. A common practice
has been for people without means to
subscribe to stock in the new compa
MES and then after a few days OF
weeks, when the stock is rising, even
before any capital has been paid in
to sell at profit. This has been es
pecially true in the case of steamship
companies, which are growing up ev
erywhere like mushrooms. In order
to prevent such unsound speculation
the government is forming a measre<
| that will require the stakeholder Il
pay certain amount In cash before
he can subscribe to stock. and tha
will forbid any transaction in stock:
on which nothing has been paid down
The Norwegian shipping trade ha'
tiourished as never before. The higl
freight rates, which show no signs o
reduction. and the scarcity of foreig,
tonnage has made the Norwegian shil
| owner a rich man
The Norwegian historian, DR.. Hald
van Koht. who is pro-German in hi
sympathies, after a prolonged stay II
Germany. Is contributing a series o
articles to the Christiania Social Dem
okraten. Doctor koht. in these al
ticles. asserts that the entire German
nation Is yearning for peace. Thi
feeling, he says, arises not from weak
ness. for everybody is conveyed tina
Germany Ia safe. but because the cour
try has arrived at the conclusion tina
Germany's enemies. especially Grea
Britain. cannot be crushed. "The fac
that Great Britain still retains all 1t
. territory and cannot be attacked b
land, and that 1t Is less affected by tn
war than Germany" the writer add.