Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-03-28
(By G. S. S%trandvold.)

r .-11-r- - sL. .. y 80. lie
Specifically considered, nothing
would seem more natural and more
logical than a consolidation of the
three Scandinavian countries, such as
outlined in the proposal of 1864; but
when a few facts are analysed, 1t will
be easy to realize why the plans did
not materialize.
First OF all. there. was always pres
.ent the impression. that a league
would have to. be. formed for the par
ticular purpose OF protecting Den
mark against Prussian aggression.
"scandinavianism"' was essentially
Danish in its origin as well as in its
development, and in the two other
countries there was a disposition to
fear a union with a country which
was placed in such an extraordinarily
position.ss was Denmark.
The two other countries felt that they
might assume, too costly obligations
by afiliating themselves with the
smaller nation.
No Democracy in Idea.
: Another fact which should not be
forgotten is that the movement was
in q peculiar sense sponsored by the
upper classes and the academic youth.
There was no real democracy in the
idea. OF course, all the famous slo-
Fo"AAS SAAoA4Iy ol1u uCAllOS4O Sy
were adopted and banded about, but
in reality they meant little. The
movement was decidedly not a demo-
cratic. one. and the two conspicuous
attempts to interest the people at
large, the meetings at Himmelbjerget.
Denmark, and at Ramloesa, Sweden,
fail to convince the student hat the
farmers and bourgoisie of the coun-
tries were DESTROYS of a Scandinavian
<ANAwo ki~~. 6Nh~ 1hro~ --
cratic features is so much the more
remarkable as at this period each of
the countries was being democratized
in a very decisive and thorough man
ner.
The Observation-Disclosures of a later
age is made possible by the develop
.ments Of the past, but it would not
be entitled to serious consideration If
it. not incorporated some of those
features which were disastrously
absent. from previous plans.
In other words. the true Scandi-
navian idea must proceed from the
fact that a majority of intelligent men
and women in each Of the countries
desire union. NJ.
This was not the case. at all, when
the last Scandinavian mass meeting
was held in 1875 although at that
time there was heard an echo Of the
cosmopolitan view of confederation
when one Of the speakers made the
forecast that a united Scandinavia is
the. precursor of united humanity.
The enthusiasm proved to be evan
escent because it had no foundation
in facts. and although much valuable
cooperation has been maintained be-
tween the three countries ever since
that time, the idea Of a politically
united North became more and more
remote in proportion to the eagerness
with which the Individual nations APP
piled themselves to the solution of ma
ttonal problems peculiarly their own.
az HForesees' Republic.
Last year DR.. Maurice Francis
Egan, then American minister at
Copenhagen, delivered an address in
New York and found occasion to in
dictate that he had observed, during
his eleven years residence in Den.
mark positive trend toward a re-
publican form of government in
Scandinavia; he also seemed to think
that the possibility Of a Scandinavian
republic after the war; is not as re-