The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1920-10-07
Prominent MinOt Citizen Says
that Radicalism is on the De-
cline in NOrway-Glad He
is Back in America

On Sunday afternoon, r. A. Nesto:
returned to Minot after a months so
journ in Norway, where he went tt
visit his mother. 1t was then seven
teen years since he last visited his
childhood home and he reports a most
delightful visit at the old home. His
mother who had suffered two attacks
of pneumonia during the past winter
and spring, and whose life had beer
despaired of, made very rapid re.
covery and splendid gain in strength
during the summer and this fact add.
ed greatly to the pleasure of his visit
at home.
Mr.. Nestos landed in Bergen on
August 14th and on the next day
arrived at his home in Voss, Norway
This is the same district from which
Senator Knute Nelson came and Mr.
Nestos says that the old neighbors of
his folks proudly pointed out the 10.
cation of the old log cabin in which
the senator was born, and in which
he lived till at the age Of six when
he was brought over to Wisconsin.
When asked about conditions in
Norway, Mr.. Nestos said that the
statement so often heard in America
that Radicaljsm and Bolshevsm is
running rampant in Norway, is abso-
lutely untrue and without foundation.
There are some radicals there, Ct
course, and some of these give express
sion to some mighty revolutionary
views, but the majority of the people
seemed to look upon them and their
activities as harmless bid for MOTOR
iety and publicity on the part of these
mouthy but impotent bolshevists.
The opinion was freely expressed
that it was largely because of the
activities of these irresponsible agi-
tators, that in the recent elections the
Socialists had lost ground and that
other parties whose platforms were
liberal, but not considered radical had
gained in strength as result.
Mr.. Nestos says that there was
much. suffering there during the war,
on account of the shortage of many
kinds of food products and the short
age of fuel. Many products could
be secured only on the surrender OF
dated cards or coupons and Mr. Nea-
tos brought with him samples q
many of these coupons used during
the war period
During the war and especially so
during the first couple years of the
war, many people and then more es-
pecially in the cities on the coast,
made immense sums Of money. Dur
ing 1916 and 1917 speculation was
running rampant and almost every
-, t,,on nuf -, hn ctn of hos
ed or proposed ship in process of
building, was certain tc bring the IN
vestor rich returns in few weeks or
months as everything was on the up
ward move and freight rates so high
that the freight receipts of singi'.
successful trip were frequently suf-
ficient to pay the original cost Of the
boat. The result of this was that
the fever of speculation grew in in
tensity with every new report of ac-
cumulated wealth and newsboys,
street cleaners, clerks and others sub
scribed stock way beyond anything
they could hope to pay for and very
often without regard to whether they
could pay anything, and yet because
Of the rapid growth of values they
"CuIQ IlHu themselves wealthy III d
few weeks.
Not only did they keep every ship
building yard in the country busy, but
innumerable contracts for the build
ing of ships and most Of them at very
high prices were let to English, Scotch
and American firms and large num-
Der of these were not yet completed
when the war closed and many are
still unfinished and unpaid.
With the usual disposition Of the
newly rich these people did then also
as soon as the war was closed COM
mence course of wild extravaganza
Importing luxuries from foreign
lands. In 1919 for instance there
was imported bf these about $50 mil
lion crowns worth and during the
first five months of 1920 about 1920
million crowns worth. AS result
of the large amount of money requir-
ed to pay for these and for the ships
contracted for in foreign lands and
without any great amount of exports
to offset this, the rate of exchange has
now become so high, that the crown
ordinarily worth about ~ cents is
worth only about IA.
During the week he was in Chris
tiania and Moss there was organized
Society for lessened consumption"
and on the charter membership roll
was found the names of most of the
distinguished men and women Of
Christiania. BY this method and by
forbidding importation of luxuries,
they hope to be able to re-establish
the rate of exchange and to prevent
disaster.
In these cities there is also great
deal Of restlessness and discomfort,
but throughout the country as whole
the people are just as hard working
and just as frugal as they were in
the former years. They suffered
much during the war but by thrift and
frugality, they have in many respects
bettered their position.
Mr.. Nestos states that so many
Americans are returning from Europe