New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-04

In Norway, Overwhelmingly pfo-Aily, tue
Germans have won two interesting victories
They are among the few trumphs that Ger
man Kultur can boast since the beginning Of
the war.
The two principal champions of Teutonism
in this land. where the spirit of democracy
has lived and made itself felt since Harald
Harfagri conquered the Hersr, the Morse
pettv rulers in the latter part of the ninth
century, are DR.. Sigurd Ibsen and BJorn
Bjornson, whose names probably mean more
outside of Norway than those of any other
men in the country. The former is the son
of Norway's greatest literary figure, Henrik
Ibsen, and the latter of BjOrnstjerne Born
son. the poet and novelist and perhaps the
most nationalistic writer that Norway ever
produced.
These two Norwegians contributed more TO
the fame of their country in modern times
than any other two men, and any one VINO
knows the works Of Ibsen and BJornson ana
something of their lives would scarcely sus-
meet that the sons of such belligerently
rampant individualsts would ally themselves
with Prussian Junkerism, much less become
spokesmen for the nation that must stand as
sponsor for the deeds that the German mill
tary machine has accomplished during the
mast three years. Bjornstjerne Bjornson was
throughout his life devoted admirer OF
France. its political ideals and its literature.
Two Of Ibsen's greatest dramas, Peer Oynt
and Brand" were inspired by what ne con
sidered al the time the moral detection OF
his countrymen in not sprnging to the ara OF
the Danes in 1854, when Prussia and Austria
attacked Denmark and the former annexed
Schleswig- Holsten.
A little more than twenty years ago, Wheh
Norway and Sweden were still under one
kingship. and when it was reported that the
Swedes we're contemplating an alliance with
Germany. Bjornstjerne Bjornson inveighed
AGAINST the proposed union with all his power
He saw. Of course, that any such alliance
would be through its very existence pact
against France In his writing and speeches
against the proposed treaty he characterized
France as the symbol of freedom and pre-
dieted that it would be dark in Europe II
Germany should ever succeed in crushing the
republic.
Ibsen spent part of the period during the
Franco-Prussian War in Germany. His i'm
pressions were not hattering to the Teutons.
He said he had found himself surrounded by
"lumpish German bombast heroes, shouting,
Dragging and tagging and exulting over the
achievement Of a cipher victory under Prus-
sia's funeral colors." Won Moltke, he said,
"has murdered the poetry of war" We are
told that in his later years lbsen became
something Of an admirer of Germany. In
method he may have become somewhat Ger
manized. Shortly before his death he was
accused OF having become conservative. This
so incensed him that he replied "YoG fur
nish another food and III torpedo the ark"
Ibsen and BJornsOn in Germany
Dr. Sgurd Ibsen received mis- education
partly in Germany and Bjorn BJornson be-
can his stage career there. This primarily
accounts for their leaning in the present war.
There is no question but that their intimate
knowledge of German university life and
higher social circles stirred their admiration,
as we'll it might. However, the written pro-
ductions of DR.. Ibsen before the war do not
show him imbued with the applied philosophy
of German craftsmanship.
Since the war began DIR. Ibsen has written
several articles defending the German cause
and bitterly assailing England, whom he
charges with having opposed all Germany's
efforts at colonial expansion. lie argues that
il would have been better for the world II
England had allowed Germany TO have her
way instead Of thwarting her ambitions. just
what DR.. Ibsen means by this is hard TO say,
Il is one OF the stock arguments of German
propagandsts, but for some reason Il has
never been developed in detail 1t is not
exactly England's fault that Germany came
out Of the egg so late. Most of the desirable
colonies on the face of the globe had been
snapped up by other nations by the time Ger
many became an empire and q world power
Britain could hardly have presented Canada
Australia New Zealand or South Africa as
wedding presents to an English princess mar