The mirror., 1920-12-02
SPITZBERGEN

In 1896 two Dutchmen, Barents and
Heemshirk, discovered Spitzbergen, and
were Immediately followed by British ex-
plorers. A British seaman-Poole-was
one of these, and he was the first man to
find coal in Spitzbergen, in 1904. Two
notable British explorers were Fotherby
and Bafin, who sailed to Spitzbergen on
behalf of the well-known company of
London merchants known as the Muscovy
company. Carrying with them royal
warrant, they authoritatively and definite
ly annexed Spitzbergen in 1914 to the Brit
ish crown in the name of King James for
his heirs and successors. So it is certain
ly British yet by right of succession, what
ever the successive heads of the British
government have been or will be, since
the reign of James vi of Scotland and l
of Great Britain, writes DR.. William S.
Bruce in Sphere.
In 1914 Britain consented to sit at
conference table, convened by other
powers, at Christiania, to discuss in what
way the government of Spitzbergen should
be organized, because of its increasing
commercial development by enterprising
miners and hunters of various nationali-
ties-British and foreign. There had been
an earlier conference at which Russia,
Norway, and Sweden only had sat- and
at which, l understand, Britain had re-
fused to consent to sit, or at all events
definitely did not sit and did not recognize
it as internationally authoritative. But in
1914-the tercentenary of Fotherby and
Bafin's British annexation-the British
government, which had the ancient right
and title to Spitzbergen as heirs and sue
cessors of King James, took up the very
generous attitude of insisting, if British
government delegate was to sit, that every
power represented there must first acknow-
ledge that Spitzbergen was Terra Nullius,
or No Mans Land, thus not forcing Brit
ish rights forward but also refusing to
admit the right of any other power present
to have any right or title whatever. This
conference was sitting in Christiania in
July, 1914. Besides Britain, the United
States, Germany, Russia, France, Holland
Norway, Sweden and Denmark sent dele
gates, but when the war broke out the
different delegates returned to their re-
spective countries and the conference was
dissolved without result and Spitzbergen
is, and remains, Terra Nullius. This is
quite definite in spite of other unauthentic
statements that have recently appeared in
the press.
What will next happen it is impossible
to say. But certain things must happen
regarding some of the powers which were
represented at the conference in 1914. (D
Germany must not be> allowed in future
to take any part whatever in the organiza-
tion of Spitzbergen in spite of her forced
bargain with Russia at the Brest-Litovsk
treaty. (2) Russia is surely not able to
take a fully responsible position now with
her disorganized government (3) The
United States has not the same interests,
because her citizens have since sold their
estates to Norwegians; Holland has only
early historical interests, France and Den
mark have no special economic interests,
and Britain, Norway and Sweden remain
the three specially interested parties.
Which of these three countries is able
to look justly after the rights of its own
subjects, as we'll as those of the other two
nationalities who have interests? Per-
sonally, for many strong reasons, most