Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1917-03-01
Important Events in Sweden,
Norway and Denmark.
BRIEFS FROM OLD COUNTRY
Interesting Items From the Three
Great Kingdoms OF the North, Sc
Iected for ScandinavIans and
Their Descendants.
BY MARTIN w. onLAND.
Norway.

uhtIe VIII ue little eiHuEIatiUu u TIC
United States from the belligerent
countries of Europe for many decades
after the war. 1t Is not that the peo-
pie will not want to emigrate to avoid
the crushing burden Of taxation that
must be theirs for generations. The
shipping people of Norway forecast nm
even greater slump than ut present
in Scandinavia. Trade and employ
ment In Norway have never been so
brisk as today. Skilled workmen are
even returning from America on that
account. But after the war the I'M
mense task Of reconstructing Europe
will bring to the three northern king
doms great demands for all kinds of
produce and labor. There will be bet
ter wages, 1t Is thought, for the pros
pective emigrant than he could find In
the United States. ''How does this
German campaign against Norwegian
vessels affect your merchant mariner
l asked a shipping man. His reply was
curious. Apart from press TRADES and
certain natural patriotic indignation
and sympathy with the unfortunate
sailors, the Norwegians do not seem to
worry much about these almost daily
losses through German torpedoing.
They have a very big merchant fleet,
and they are buying and building as
fast as Germany can destroy. In De-
ccmber, for instance. Norway even
launched a greater tonnage than she
lost by German destruction. II lis as
though the Norwegians were as de-
pendent on the mercantile marine as
are the British on their own. A few
ships suffice to supply the import and
export needs of the nation. The rest
run around the seven seas, fetching
and carrying for anyone who cares to
pay the stiff chartering and freightage
costs prevailing. These ships are In"
snred and the heavy war risk premium
has not hitherto fallen on the Norwc-
gian owner. He has made the foreign
charter and freight consigners split II
up between them. Freights are very
high now. Before the war 1t cost only
81 cents to bring quarter Of grain to
Norway from the Atlantic ports of the
United States. Now IL costs So.
That gives you an idea Of how they
run.
II is said that from one-haIf to three
fourths of the ships in the port of New
Orleans are Morse vessels. The docks
in the Southern city are five miles IN
length and are nearly always lined
with ships, unloading or taking on car
goes. The Morse vessels are always
conspicuous by their large number, and
the same is true Of Gulfport, Miss, a
hundred miles east of New Orleans.
Many of the Morse ships are in the
employ of the United States Fruit
company, being engaged in the trans
portation of fruits to the American
market. Other Morse vessels are, Of
course, engaged in the European trade.
Immense profits are reaped by their
owners. 1t lis related that one stock
holder in Norway, who had 10000
crowns invested In ship, drew a
monthly dividend of 1000 crowns last
year. Many of the ships, however, are
tied up by long contracts and are not
making half the money they would but
for that fact.
1t is reported from Sandefjord, Nor
way, that among the interesting exhib-
it's In the new whaling museum In that
city-the gift of one of the city's sue
cessful whalers-wiil be wha. sci
entists estimate to be q five thousand
year-old-whale which was unearthed
near Larvik some time ago. Command
er Christensen, the donor Of the mn-
scum, has also presented to the new in
stitution his own private collection Of
articles relating to the whaling indus
try. Old equipment of whalers may
here be seen together with the most
modern instruments used In the hunt
ing of the monsters of the deep. The
building which will house the museum
is Of artistic design. In the deeora-
item OF the building the motifs are
taken from the whaling industry.
There are 615 s95 volumes In the
library of the University of Norway
and 1888 pamphlets newspaper
files, manuscripts, etc.
The value of the exports from the
United States to Norway in 1916 was
SAC, 231 go.
According TO a Christiania CORE
$40 dent, during the first nine months
of 1916 the emigration from Norway
amounted to 4,514 persons. The exact
figures for the fourth are not yet ayail-
able, but the statistical boreau esti-
mates them at 1000. A total Of about
$50 persons thus left Norway In the
year for overseas" countries. The
corresponding figures for the proceed