Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-03-06

~ 4A3SS WlllSCA oPOAoNAN 49,
came from Norway. Sweden and Den
mark to the effect that what was
termed Bolshewism was developing
throughout Scandinavia. but no great
importance was attached to the re-
ports. partly because the respective
governments handled the situation
firmly, and partly because 1t was SO
utterly unlike the notwithstanding
inortherner to rebel that rumors were
iapt to be considered mere jokes. At
that ti.1e 1t was in Norway the ghost
OF revolution was stalking about; some
disquieting details leaked out about
conditions in Sweden. n in Den
mark things were so. idyllic as to be
almost unhealthy lethargic.
But the last few months nave
brought about a significant change.
and It seems that those far-seeing
Scandinavians who perceived as great
q danger during the armfstice period
as during the actual period of war.
were right, for a most serious crisis
is now facing the three northern
countries.
Someone has recently coined the
term, "the Red Laughter when dis
cussing the menace now threatening
the world. 1t is that uncanny, weird
destruction. All nations shivered
when they heard it come out of Rus
STA where it had become synonymous
with civil warfare Of the most violent
nature-with brother fighting brother
using machine guns and torches as
though the man next door were a for
eign, foe. And again the Red Laugh.
ter resounded throughout the world
when the reaction following defeat
these lines are being written, Ger
many is in a new fit of that horrible
laughter@that laughter which in the
end means death, sorrow and count
less tears.
What Scandinavians Fear.
Ever since the armistice between
the Entente and Germany was signed,
! life has been comparatively quiet in
Norway and Sweden. There have
been. political upheavals which have
attracted but little outside attention
because they were purely domestic ii
their effects although their causes
opments abroad. The recent. change
of cabinet in Norway. for instance
was quite directly brought. about in
consequence OF conditions which were
rooted in the soil Of international dis
turbances..
During the autumn and thu winter
there have again been rumors of In
cipient rebellion in Scandinavia, blu
the most serious of such reports have
come from Copenhagen-not from
Christiania or Stockholm.
Last summer a group of noise-mak.
ers smashed some windows and fought
the policemen in the streets of the
Danish 'capital-until then a thins
unheard Of. The affair was treated
merely as a swiftly passing symptom
of that disease Of the Red Laughte,
| r,LSoI I4ll ;-Ao - ~ .kn. - A. -,Nx1C
In its throes. Parades arranged or
the spur Of the moment by certain
loosely organized factions known a.
the Young Socialists or the Syndical'
lists were held from time to time, but
whenever trouble was brewing the po'
lice proved able to stop serious dis.
%turbances in advance.
Difficulties Increase.
The one feature that disturbed the
minds of interested observers vas thai
the small disorders became more and
more. frequent, and that whenever
they occurred, they were On IN al
ways larger scale than before. I'm
employment had much to do with it!
for many months Danish industry hac
been practically at a standstill because
of the embargo which the Allies hae
placed on the export Of all essentia
raw materials, and at the same time
the cost of living scared to height:
that can hardly be comprehended
even in the United States.
The Danish government was largely
Sociad-Democratic: its leader, Zahle
was a strong member Of the so-eallec
Radical Left. and his associates in the
government had aided him ably ant
consistently in %avertinS the danger OF
war from the country although the
provocation was there often enough.
Now the report that the
Zahle cabinet has resigned-the only
cabinet in Europe that remained in.
tact during the entire period of the
though the overthrow was caused by
the Conservatives and by the Moder'
ate Left, the. original cause seems tc
be that of threatening syndicalism.
Last week it was announced thai
the Danish government had reached
+, a point where it vas ready to prac.
tically abandon all ideas of fighting
had been enforced with regard tc
propagandists coming from Russis
and Germany since the practical end.
ing of the war. but it now appears
that the. restrictions have been re.
moved. 1t was explained that the
government had adopted its new at.
titude after studying conditions
abroad, and after convincing itsell
that for the time being 1t was besi
to let the disease Of the Red Laughte,
run its purse until the bitter. end
They are not speaking about Boil.
lshevism in Denmark-yet. It is called
lRadtcalism. and Danish RadicaIisnf
would look almost like a reactionary
movement compared to some of the
specimens Of Radicalism seen i,
america.
Censorship Abolished.
Advices received in this country
indicate that Denmark has abolished