The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-07-31
Norway Is Losing Patience
At Latest German A fronts

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
eign minister has sent some mes
sages of protests to Berlin without
obtaining a satisfactory explanation.
And in these very fishing districts
German agents are buying all the
Norwegian fish they can, according
to the agreement with the govern
ment German boats sail safely in
side the territorial line guidtN by
Norwegian pits with their cargoes
of fish and provisions for Germany.
At the same time from all over
Norway came reports of arrests of
alleged German spies who are sent
across the Norwegian border. Nor
wegian citizens are being convicted
and sentenced to imprisonment for
not more than six months, although
it is proved that their information to
the Germans regarding the sallings
Of Norwegian ships has caused these
vessels to be torpedoed and some Of
the crews to be killed. In these cases
the court acted according to law The
whole nation was struck aghast that
this crime against the country should
not be punished more severely. The
Germans involved we're acquitted.
Of the Norwegians involved, two
were captains en- route with steamers
between Newcastle and Bergen. who
had been paid to report to the German
espionage control in Bergen every
thing they saw in England and on
their way between England and Nor
way.
Why the government, which week
after week suffers humiiations at
the hands of the Germans, has not
stopped all export between Germany
until satisfaction is given, is regard
ed here as a mystery. A great many
anti-socialists agree with the social
lists who criticize the government for
having spent $1O0,00O,00O in three
years on the neutrality guard. The
socialists say 4 would have been bet
ter to use this money to relieve the
high cost of living. asserting that
the navay and army defense is in
too poor q condition to be of any use
and that the money is wasted Other
citizens who believe in armament for
the defense of the country now ask,
with the socialists, what the country
has obtained for the 500 000,0 900.
They Indignantly declare that more
than 400 vessels have been destroyed
with the loss of 500 sailors, by the
acts of a so-called "friendly" nation,
that no excuse nor satisfaction has
been given ~ A2y of the numerous
violations of the international law;
that Norwegian sailors have been
murdered in the life boats; money and
private trinkets on board Norwegian
ships stolen by German officers and
taken to Germany; Norwegian gov
eminent vessels in coast traffic in
Norwegian waters seized and taken as
prizes to German ports; and that not
a shot has been fired from a Norweg-
ian gun to defend Norwegian rights,
not Norwegian boat nor 4 Norweg-
ian sailor has been allowed to fight
for his life. Meantime, they add, the
country which has spent $1OO,0OOQ00
is threatened by famine of food, fuel
during the coming winter.
Such criticism as the foregoing can
be read every day in the most promi-
nent papers of the country and heard
wherever two Norwegians speak of
the situation. but the leading men
in the cabinet seem not to listen to
public opinion or to be unwilling to
sustain the national pride. The news
paper Edens Tegn, in an editorial the
other day, criticizing the political line
Norway's government has followed,
said;
There is something worse than
war and its disasters, and that is
when nation loses its self respect;
the Norwegian nation these days is
in danger of that"