Norwich bulletin., 1917-07-30

man U-boats in the Arctic ocean, off thf Norwegian coast and outside of the danger zone" attacked small nao- tor fishing boats, fishing for the Ger
 mans and therefore provided with German outfit sank some of them in the open sea with small chances 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 eign minister has sent some messages and protests to Berlin without ob-
 taining a satisfactory explanation. And in those 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 guided by
 Norwegian pilots with their cargoes of fish and provisions for Germany.
 At the same time from all over Nor
 way come reports of arrests of alleged
 German spies who are sent across the
 Norwegian border. Norwegian citi-
 zens are being convicted by the court
 in Bergen as paid spies for the Ger
 man government and sentenced to inn
 months, although it is proved that their information to the Germans re-
 garding the sailings 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 the law. The whole nation was struck aghast that this crime against the country should rot be punished more severely. The Germans involved were acquitted. Of the Norwegians- involved, two were captains on route steamers be- tween Newcastle and Bergen, who =
 man espionage control in Bergen ev- erythins they saw in England and on their way between England and Nor way.
 The espionage control was estap- lished it is charged, by the Antarctic explorer, lieutenant Filchner who, before the war, had been very kindly received everywhere in Norway. had ben the guest of the Geographical So-
 city. and who now used his knowl- edge to plot against this country, draw Norwegian men in his net and make them traitors to their own country The whole press condemned Fuchner 1 The whole nation felt ashamed and dishonored by this case. remembering the way the Swedish Baron vo1 Ro- sen. with his anthrax and glanders bacilli in sugar, vas treated by Nor German proved spy, Baumoister. also
 was allowed peacefully to go back to | Germany.
 | In the legislature it was strongly demanded that the police authorities
 and the department of justice. here after, should see that the nation was
 ridden Of such German pests.
 And in spite of all this, in spite oi
 the nearly Unanimously demand to | stop export of anything the country | needs for it's own citizens, the fsf
 export to Germany still is going or
 and the export of home made farm
 products and canned milk Is not | fn the people in the coming fall and win
 ter are worse than ever.
 1 Why the government, which weei after week suffers humiliations at tho hands of the German, has not stoppct all expcrt on Germany until satisfac tior1 is given, is regarded here as { | mystery. 4 great many anti-socia'ist: | q gree with the socialists who criticize ! the government for having spsn | s100 oe0, GOO in three years on the neu- 1 would have been better to use thi: | money to relieve the high cost of liv' | ing, asserting that the naval and ar
 my defense is in too poor a condition l to be of any use and that the money 1 is wasted. Other citizens who believe l in armament for the defense of ths
 country now ask. with the socialists
 what the country has obtained for the 1 s100. .000.o .o00. They indignantly decsar;
 that more than 400 Norwegian vessel: l have been destroyed, with the loss O ! 500 saiIorss by the ac-3 of a so-cailec | friendly nation. tha- no excuse nCl l satisfaction has been given for any O. | the numerous violations of the inter national law; that Norwegian sailor: have been murdered in the life boats
 money and private trinkets on board l in Norwegian ships stolen by Germa I ] officers and taken to Germany; Nor | wegian government vessels in coa s | traffic in Norwegian waters seized anc taken as prizes to German ports: ant | that not a shot has been fired from z | Norwegian gun to defend Norwegian rights, not a Norwegian boat nor 2 | Norwegian sailor has been allowed tC flight for his life. Meantime. they add | the country which has spent S100,- | 000,0 is threatened by famine oi | food, fuel during the coming winter. | Such criticism as the foregoing car
 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 l opinion or to be unwilling to sustain i the national pride. The newspaper ! Tidens Tegn, in an editorial the other
 day, criticizing the political line Nor ways government has followed. said: There is something worse than wa- and it's disasters and that is when a nation loses it's self-respect. the Nor wegian nation these days is in dan
 ger of that"