The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1940-04-18
Local People, Born In
NORGE. Rue Disaster
tContinued from Page One)

once said, IF I had wings, could
fly back and turn the knob" Her
sentence trailed off there, but the
longing to recapture the beauty OF
that idyllic Norwegian scene was
there. She wouldn't want to go
back now; the war shattered those
dreams.
Significant in the light Of war is
the statement Gunther Hillerud
made to the Herald in April, year
ago. He pointed at that time to
lack of travel in Europe as max
ing them provincial and has Kept
alive the possibility Of so many
states in so small an area.
Few were actually startled by the
news of the war move to Norway.
Most had been fearfully expectant
of the turn of events. For some
who had families there, it was sad
news. To others the news was dis
NAL but far from provoking per-
sonal feeling. Some had been
away too long"
Sigurd Holme, born in Trond-
helm, has a sister in Oslo, now
under Nazi rontrol. He came to this
country in 1900, and returned to
Norway in 1906 for a visit. He has
been in many of the occupied cities
and seaports. and with his know
ledge of the Notifications in the
fjords leading to Oslo, Trondheim
and Narvik, he said he could not
understand how the Nazis could
enter them and take complete
control with so little difficulty.
These Fjords are fortified on both
sides, with batteries of large can
non, concealed and mounted on the
mountain sides, placed so they
could be fired across the fjords.
Any battleship, no matter how
large he said, would be at the
mercy of these forts with proper
operation. He believed it imposs-
ible for any battleship to enter
these narrow fjords, and it was
surprise that an enemy could come
into control of them so easily.
Landing from the air, of course, he
said, was different matter.
An important objective in the
English attack at Trondheim, said
Mr.. Holme, is the railroad from
Oslo to Trondheim. Besides ship
ments of ore, fish and pulpwood,
which England has imported from
Norway, there are other large
English interests in that country.
AS an example, he cited the Eng
lish Syndicate, which came to Nor
way and with English capital harm
essed a large waterfall fifteen
miles from Trondheim to furnish
electric lights and power to that
city and other places in that vici-
nifty. English capital brought
electric lights and electric street
cars to that part of Norway many
years ago.
England cannot afford to let the
Nazis keep control of Norway, said
Mr.. Holme, as it would give their
enemy an important airport and
seaport in northern Norway, where
the best mining ore is found.
Trondheim as well az other
cities of Norway, are noted for
their beautiful scenery and land
marks of beauty, which he would
not like to see destroyed in war,
said Sig. He spoke of the large
Domkirchen at Trondheim, which
has been under construction for
over 100 years. and which is not
yet completed. This church, he said
is one of the largest attractions for
tourists in that country. He remem-
bered as a boy when Kaiser Will
helm Of Geramny, made trips to
Trondheim in his royal yacht, and
that he donated many thousands Of
dollars for the completion Of this,
as he termed it, finest edifice in
Norway. These landmarks, said Sig
are fondly remembered by the
Norwegian emigrants to this coun-
try, who although they are now
thoroughly American, view with
sadness their probable destruction
in Norway's first war in over 100