Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-05-17

independent, and indivisible Kingdom,
united with Sweden under one king
in other words, an offensive andsde-l
fensive alliance was formed between
the two kingdoms.
June 1905.
For 81 years the Norwegian-Swed.
ish union remained in force despite
many vicissitudes of a more or less
serious nature. During the latter
part of the nineteenth century and
the early part of the twentieth at.
fairs shaped themselves SO that q
! crisis seemed unavoidable, and 1t be-
came acute in May, 1905, when the
king OF the two countries refused to
sanction a bill unanimously carried BY
the Storting for the establishment OF
a specifically Norwegian consular ser"
vice.
In consequence Of King Oscar IFS
refusal to sign the consular bill, the
! Norwegian cabinet resigned. but was
informed that the resignation could
not be accepted. The cabinet mem
bers declined to withdraw their resig-
nation n informed the Storting OK
what had been done in the matter.
The national assembly referred the
question to a special committee, and
on June Z the Storting met to hear
the decision Of the government. Pre-
mier Christian Nicholson informed
the members that the cabinet had re-
signed, that the king had refused to
accept the resignation and. that as an
alternative government could not be
formed the union with Sweden must
be declared dissolved.
Following this statement the presi-
dent of the Storting submitted a reso-'
luton that the present cabinet be au-
thorized to exercise the authority
vested in thu king in accordance with
the Eidsvold constitution, and the
resolution was unanimously adopted.
On August 10 a general plebiscite
was taken showing a remarkable SEN
timent in favor Of dissolving the
Swedish Norwegian union. 36S,21l.
voted for the dissolution of h union,
only 1874 against it.
1t nay not be an ~exaggeration to
say that popular sentiment has
found a more decisive expression up
on matters of national interest in any
country of the world.
Elect a King.
When the Swedish king finally per-
ceived the futility of maintaining that
a union existed. he relinquished the
crown of Norway, and the people
elected Prince Carl Of Denmark their
king, casting 25s,563 votes for and
69,264 against the proposition that
Norway should adopt the monarchicai
form of government.
When the facts here briefly out
lined are considered it does not aston
ish anyone to hear that Norwegians
sometimes think it preposterous that
others should want to teach them
J democracy. They maintain, and just
~. that they have given the world its
first lessons in applied and practical
democracy.
For that reason, May seventeenth is
more than a national holiday: 1t is
a day set aside for the celebration Of
those highest ideals which are cher
ished in all countries where liberty
Inc democracy are loved and respect
ed-fought for and died for.
International ideals-those which
form the very foundation of man
kinds welfare-need and know no
visible emblems, but eve though this
may be so. it is a matter of interest
to recall that the national colors of
Norway are the same as those Of the
United States. In the main, the ma
tional principles Of the two countries
are also essentially alike. p-.+
For that reason it is often easier for
a Norwegian to become a good Amer
lean than for ~naturalized citizens Of
many other countries. y