Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-20
BY HAL BORLAND.

F that doughty old Viking, Eric the Red,
can look down from Valhalla and view the
affairs of his Morse world in this year of
1881, what laugh he must be enjoying!
Greenland, the icy, forbidding land which
he sought out as a haven after his expul-
sion from Iceland nearly 10 centuries ago, the
land in the naming of which old Eric displayed
q Sagacity to be envied by the most enterpriSing
of modern real estate promoters has become
an international problam. More than that, it
has become a bone of contention between two
nations of Erics native Scandinavia Most Of
all, title to its lands is being disputed by Kings
who brothers, Christian x of Denmark and
Haakon VII of Norway. The rival claims have
been carried to The Hague, where they viii be
argued by the Permanent Court of International
Justice
"And all for a land which the whole world for
got for the better part Of two centuries"
MD Eric himself as discoverer and colonizer
- Of Greenland, Is the first Of those con-
cerned. About the year Ss3 Eric, hOt-headed
old Norseman that he was fell into difhculties
In Iceland, dificulties which eventually led to
word from those in control of that Morse coll
ony that Eric's presence could very well be dis
penSed with. He was IN plain words, told TO
get out. So Eric, probably with some such
taunt as: Keep your island. I'll find me a
bigger and better onel" mustered himself q
crew and set out, sailing westward
In due time Eric's little vessel sighted land
rocky, icebound land, but land for all that
Working southwark, Eric finally came to a coast
not quite so forbidding. Following that coast
westward, he came on a sheltered spot where
grass grew In the Summer. Here he put in and
established a settlement. He had found his
digger and better" island.
Before long. Eric returned to Iceland for more
settlers. In glowing words he told of his new
colony. He even went so far as to dub it q
land of green, which, considering Icelands nat
ural characteristics, was not so much of brag,
but it did sound good. And Eric enticed other
indictments back to Greenland with him. His
colony prospered, made some progress with the
agriculture Of the times, took fish and furs and
achieved some measure Of Importance in CO.
1onial trade.
But Eric had son, named as was the
custom of the times, Left, Erics Son, which was
shortened to Left Ericsson. And Left himself
was endowed with his old fathers taste for new
lands. According to some Of the old sagas, Lief
was frequent visitor to the European home
land and on one Of his visits there was con-
verified to Christianity. Then, so goes the story,
Left was dispatched by the Morse King to carry
the Word to his fathers colony, Greenland
But on the voyage Left is said have struck bad
weather-his route lay through that part Of
the North Atlantic which has bafded countless
mariners and IN recent years has been the
nemesis Of ocean nyers-and was carried far
on his course Continuing westward he finally
came In sight OF stin another land one which
due examination showed worthy Of the name
Vinland, or Vineland And after a time Left
is said to have turned about and safely made
his way to the Greenland port which he sought
IN the beginning, to tell his father first of all
about the new land he had found
OTTER versions Of the story have Left set
~ ting out from Greenland and finding the
coast Of what Is now known to have been
North America. But In any case it seems true
beyond doubt that Left, the son Of Eric, sailed