Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-07-22
People and Papers Ask Why Government Does Not
 Take Action in Matter.
INDIGNITIES ARE
 REPORTED COMMON
Vessels Are LOOted, Sunk or Taken as Prizes. Sailors Treated With Con. tumely and German Spies Said
 to Overrnn Entire Country.

tHI l.olle-.:t:, .SA " dy c IiS Ai' NNS' respondence. 1.-The latest German act against Norway arc heinz criticised in the press and condemned by the Legislature cs showing the alleged failure of the Norwcgia.. government to uphold the self-respect of the na- tion.
 Royal mail boats between Denmark and Norway, outside cf the German "barrcl zrne" with cargo of killed cattle exclusively for use in Norway are captured by German u-boats, broug,:t to German ports and no sat isfactory explanation 0 satisfaction given.
 A Norwegian steamer, the "Tho- rum" i'll coast traffic, chartered by the Norwegian government itself With cargo of hay 70 relieve the fodder famine in the northern part of the country vas stopped by German u- boats inside the Smile limit, that means in Norwegian Waters; the Nor wegian flag was lowered and the German flag was run up, and the Ger man u-Doat chief declared the steamer g German prize because of lack of spcial clearing papers. A NorWe- gian torpedo boat arrived, the Nor wegian captain declared that as the steamer vcs in Norwegian waters she was not liable to be seized by German ubcats, ordered the Nor- wegkan flag flown again and the German flag lowered. After some ar- gument, however, he yielded to the German view and allowed the steamer to be taken as prize to German port and the Norwegian flag for the second time displaced by the Ger man.
 This happened May 16 and, upon an interpolation in the legislature regarding this affair which has turn ed the vhcle press and public orin- ion more anti-German than ever, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ihlen ans wered that the governments protest in Berlin and the assurance of the steamer being government chartered boat had only met unwillingness to straighten out the affair and give a satisfactory excuse. On the con- trary there was no prospect of the ship being released in the near fu- ture as the case would be tried be- fore prize court. More humiliating was the announcement that the Nor wegian crew now would be brought before German court martial because they, according to orders from a Nor wegian naval officer in Norwegian waters, had hoisted the Norwegian flag. ""s
 For the first time since the war broke out friction with one of the belligcrent nations has been discuss ed openly in the legislature. Tn oth- CT cases the minister of foreign af- fairs 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 num- berless encroachments from the Ger man side. s'
 All the leading politicians, in very strong terms, condemned this last humiliation from the German govern ment.
 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 crew acted according to Norwegian law and should not be punished by Germany
 The only paper that tried to belittle the affair was the Socialdimokraten, which expressed the hope that Ger many twill show justice to a smal! nation not able and not willing to sustain it's rights by power" | Sink Fishing Boats. | Only few days before this, Ger man 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 some of them in the open sea with small chances for them 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 the acts can be to the great war-to destroy people working for the bene- fit of Germany itself. The foreign minister has sent some messages and protests to Berlin without obtaining satisfactory explanation. And in