New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1917-07-25
NORWEGIAN PRESS
urges REPRISALS
National Self Respect Not Being
Upheld, Is Claim


The latest German acts against Nor
way are being criticized in the press
and condemned by the legislature as
showing the alleged failure Of the
Norwegian government to uphold the
self-respect of the nation.
Royal mail meats between Den
mark and Norway, outside of the
German barred zone" with cargo Of
killed cattle exclusively for use in
Norway are captured by German
U-boats brought to German ports
and no satisfactory explanation or
satisfaction given.
A Norwegian StCamer, the
'"Tllprum' in coast traffic, chartered
by the Norwegian government itself
with cargo of hay to relieve the fod-
der famine in the northern part of
the country was stopped by German
U-boat inside the Smile line, that
means in Norwegian waters; the
Norwegian flag wak lowered and the
German flag was run up, as the Ger
man U-boat chief declared the steam
err a German prize because of lack
of special clearing papers. A Nor
wegian torpedo boat arrived, the
Norwegian captain declared that as
the steamer was in Norwegian waters
she was not liable to be seized by
German U-boats, ordered the Nor
wegian flag flown again and the Ger
man lowered. After some argument,
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
in Interpolation in the legislature re-
garding this affair which has turned
the whole press and public opinion
more anti-German than ever, Minister
of Foreign Affairs Ihlen answered
that the governments protest in
Berlin and the ssurance of the steam
err being a government chartered boat
had only met unwillingness to
straighten out the affair and give a
satisfactory excuse. On the contrary
there was no prospect of the ship be-
ing released in the near future as the
case would be tried before a prize
court. More humiliating was the an
nouncement that the Norwegian crew
now would be brought before Ger
man court martial because they, &C
cording to orders from a Norwegian
naval officer in Norwegian waters
For the first time since the war
broke out friction with one of the
belligerent nations has been dis
cussed openly in the legislature. In
other cases the minister of foreign
affairs has kept everything secret and
been unwilling to let the public know
what steps the Norwegian govern
ment has taken to protect the rights
of their citizens against the new
numberless entertainments from Ger
man SIDE.
All the leading politicians in very
strong terms, condemn this last
humiliation from the German gov
eminent.
The press requested that the Nor
wegian crew at once be given their
liberty and sent home if the Thorum
was not released, asserting that the
Grew acted according to Norwegian
law and should not be punished in
Germany.
The only paper that tried to be-
little the affair was the Social DEM
Rkraten, which expressed the hope
that Germany twill show justice to
p small nation not able and not will
Ing to sustain its rights by power"
y Norwegian Boats Attacked.
Only few days before this, Ger
man U-boats in the Arctic ocean, off
the Norwegian coast and outside of
the danger zone' attacked small
motor fishing boats, fishing for the
Germans and therefore provided with
German outfit, sank one Of them in
the open sea with small chance for
the crews to be saved, and in others
destroyed the motors and everything
on board, seized what they needed Of
provisions, instruments and even
money.
Nobody understands what benefit
these acts can be to the great war
to destroy people working for the
benefit Of Germany itself. The for