Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1917-08-08
NORWAY.

NORWAY.
A Norwegian steamer, the Thorum,
in coast traffic, chartered by the Nor
wegian government itself with cargo
Of hay to relieve the fodder famine
in the northern part of the country,
was stopped by a German U-boat in
side the three-mile line, that means
in Norwegian waters; the Norwegian
flag was lowered and the German flag
was run up as the German U-bOat
chief declared the steamer a German
prize because of lack of special clear
ing papers. A Norwegian torpedo boat
arrived. the Norwegian captain de-
clared that as the steamer was in Nor
weglan waters, she was not liable to
be seized by German U-boats. ordered
the Norwegian flag flown again, and
the German lowered. After some ar
gument, however. he yielded to the
German view and allowed the steamer
to be taken as prize to a German port
and the Norwegian flag for the second
time displaced by the German. This
happened May 16 and, upon an in
terpolation in the storting regarding
this affair Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ihlen answered that the governments
protest in Berlin and the assurance of
the steamer being a government char
tered boat had only met unwillingness
60 fcrI, Ia Of af criV
a satisfactory excuse. On the con-
trary. there was no prospect of the
ship being released in the near future.
as the case would be tried before
prize court. More humiliating was
the announcement that the Norwegian
crew now would be brought before Ger
man cOurt-martlal because they, &C
cording to orders from a Norwegian
naval officer in Norwegian waters, had
hoisted the Norwegian flag.
International fish story. A member
of the crew of the Berlin, a converted
German cruiser which has been in
termed at Hommelvik. near Trondhjem,
almost since the beginning of the war,
has been in the habit of netting found
ers In the bay The other morning he
found his net cut TO pieces and part
of II gone. Members of the crew of
the British steamer Kovno. which was
at anchor in the harbor at the time,
were suspected, and the police boarded
the ship TO get light on the matter
Yes. three men had been out fishing,
and their gear got caught In net,
which they pulled up and cut 70 pieces
in order TO get rid of it, The Germans
tried TO make out that the work was
a case of malice prepense; but the au-
thorities came to the conclusion that
the English. who were young men, who
knew next to nothing about the mys-
teries of fishing, simply and honestly
knew no better.
Norway has grown rich during the
war But in spite of the golden food
there has been no such suffering in
the country since 1912, when the crops
failed to such an extent that people
actually had to systemic the making
of bread out of pine bark. Food and
fuel are getting more scarce from day
TO day, and still worse times are in
sight on account of the American en-
barge on the staple necessaries Of
life.
A FIRE in Trondhjem spread to differ
ent points among the vast storehouses.
During the fire a Norwegian steamer
blew up. Supplies for the allies re-
ported worth millions have been de-
stroyed.
Norway has more money at present
than ever before, hut is lacking in
food. according 10 Knut Bachke and
Anders Borresen, bankers of Christi
ania, Norway. on their way to the Pa
eific coast. Mr.. Bachke said that
under an agreement Norway is supply
ing the British government with So
per cent of its surplus fish catch. and
the remaining 10 per cent to Germany.
He said that If the United States re-
of the percentage of fish sold 10 Ger
many, Norwegians will not be able 10
feed themselves.
The Aaro river, in Sogn. has the rep
utation Of having the biggest salmon
Of all the rivers Of Norway. In 1895
a NJ Kennedy caught a salmon that
weighed g. pounds, which was rec
oEd ar that time. But Chr. Munthe.
the owner of Aaro. the other day land
ed one that weighed alroost "a pounds.
Notodden. the city that in few
years Sprang up and became the most
famous fertilizer manufacturing cen
ter in the world, is forging ahead fast
er than ever. the total incomes Of the
city having doubled in che year.