Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1921-01-28
SENDS OUT.
HURRY CALLFOR|CE'

Carrying ice to Iceland will appear
to most persons about as reasonable
as carrying wheat to the Dakotas'
cotton to Texas or beans to Boston.
But. according to recent press dis
patches, the Icelanders have made
an appeal to Norway. the nearest
European country. to ship them 1ce'
in order that they may save their
herring harvest from spelling De-
cause Of the mildness of the present
winter.
Some of the paradoxes of this sup
posed land of ice are dealt with in
the following bulletin issued by the
National Geographic Society,":
THE land which has come down In
history as Iceland might with more
accuracy have been given ola,
metrically opposite title and called
The Land of Fire. The surface go Oh
ly marked by the whitening blasts
that well up from time to time. and
in no country of equal area are to De
found so many volcanic peaks ana
vents. Nearly 5000 square miles OF
the 10000 of the country's area are
covered by lava flows.
Winter in Capital Mild.
iceland is approximately the size
OF Ohio and about 5000 square miles
larger than Ireland. 1t is only short
distance off the European coast of
Greenland, and it's northernmost cape
just touches the arctic circle. From
there the midnight sun can be seen.
In spite of it's position so near the
north pole, Iceland, thanks to the gulf
stream. has a relatively mild winter
climate. Reyk javik, the capital, IS IN
the same latitude as Nome, Alaska,
but has January temperature miider
than that of Munich, Germany, or
Milan. Italy.
"Icelandic summers. however, are cool,
due to the large fields of ice that noat
down from the north. Grain cannot pc
grown satisfactorily. and all breadstuhs
must be imported. Hay, potatoes and
turnips are the only agricultural prod
ucts Of any importance. Cattle, horses
and sheep are raised in considerable
numbers. and large quantities of fish
chiefly cod and herring-are taken from
the neighboring waters.
Though Iceland has an extensive
area. for all practical purposes it might
just as well be only a seventh its ac-
tual size. Although Europeans emil
grated to Iceland about seven hundred
years before old world colonies were es-
tablished in the now tanned North Amer
lea. only the valleys and lowlands near
the coast Of the island have ever been
lack OF energy on the part of hardy
Scandinavians who settled the island.
but because the interior. comprising
about six-sevenths Of the total area.
is a waste of lava. boulders and
gravel. devoid Of vegetation.
Discoverers From Iceland.
THE island is approximately 200
miles wide and 900 miles long, but
hardly a habitation can be found
nrfN lac
water. There are no railroads and
few carriage roads. The Inhabitants
depend almost entirely on water
transportation along the coast and in
the many bjords.
iceland can be considered the
America. Nearly 700 years before
Columbus sailed to the West Indies
through the warm south Atlantic in
his relatively large, decked ships.
daring Scandinavian sea rovers, in
their open boats. passed from Nor
way to iceland and from there to the
coasts Of Maine and Rhode Island.
Though Iclanders, faced by i'm
placable natural forces and scondl-
tons. have been unable to achieve
ment on their lava-covered. short,
summered island, they have made
notable advances in less material
fields. truly remarkable literary
QeveioDment SpfanS up IN thIS tar
northern island in the twelfth and
thirteenth centuries, a full hundred
years before the renaissance began to
make itself felt in sunny Italy.
Married Women Keep Names.
"In more recent times the islanders
have shown themselves to be in ad-
vance of many parts Of the world in
their social and political ideas. Wom-
en- had full political privileges in Ice
land earlier probably than in any
other civilized country. At the pres
ent time part of the althng, the Ice
landic parliamnt, is elected by proper
tional representation. Votes for wom-
en- is not the only mark which fem
inism has placed on the life of Ice
land. The custom Of women retaining
their own names when they marry is
more general in Iceland, perhaps, than
in any other modern country.
THE political status Of Iceland is in
some ways peculiar. In effect it might
be said to be an autonomous state in
partnership with Denmark. 1t has no
army or navy and Is under no obliga-
ton to contribute either men or money
to the Danish military forces. Dem
! mark recognizes the country's per-
manent neutrality. Furthermore the
present arrangement is only temper
airy. and after December 81, 1910,
either of the associated countries may
demand a revision of the act of union
which now unites them"