Scandinavian American. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1945-1958, 1950-01-30
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However, some cuts of meat are
not always available. We ate meat
balls at a steak dinner one eve
ming. The neighborhood butcher
was out of beef.
The Norwegian transportation
system is in serious need of mod
ernization. Buses serving rural
areas are often old, uncomfort-
able, and poorly heated. The cars
on the railroad are of ancient vim
tage. The seats on the coaches
are in most cases unupholstered.
While travelling from Hamar to
Oslo on one of the fast trains the
conductor came through at dusk
and lit two oil lamps. The engines
are almost entirely Anticipated
steam locomotives except on the
1870 Of the trackage which has
been electrified.
War Efforts Noticed
Industrial production is still not
on its feet by Swedish and DAN
ish standards. This was admit
ted by the Norwegian delegates to
conference held in Copenhagen
the first of the year. Assembled
to discuss the possibilities of a
Scandinavian customs union be-
tween Norway, Sweden, Denmark,
and Iceland, the eventual breakup
Of the meeting was presaged when
the Norwegians advised that their
industry was incapable of COM
peting with Danish and Swedish
concerns. The Norwegians said
that if tariff barriers were re-
moved Norwegian industry would
be killed as cheaper imported
goods flooded the home market.
The greater share of Norways
present plight stems from the
last war, although the war dam
ages her economy sustained are
not usually known by outsiders
who remember only that the Ger
mans invaded and conquered the
country in less than three months.
Actually, the destruction of capt.
tai equipment during the invasion
and subsequent occupation was
considerable.
Fleet Reduced
Before the war Norway's fleet
was fourth largest in the world
after Great Britain, the United
States, and Japan. Norway had
depended on her shipping business
to earn one-third of all her i'm
ports. At wars end this flotilla
had been reduced by 40 per cent,
and those ships remained were, for
z the most part, old and in need of
repair.
Bombing by the Germans dur
ing the period of invasion resulted
/ in widespread destruction in a
number of cities. Three-fourths
| of Steinkjer was burned. In Molde
| almost half of all buildings We're
destroyed, while in Kristiansund
the loss was over so per cent. In
Namsos the city center was an ash
heap after first being bombed by
the Germans and subsequently be-
ing used as a landing point and
then as an embarkation point by
French and English troops.
Some of the greatest destruc-
ton took place after the war had
already gone sour for the Ger
mans on other fronts. The Nazis
retreating from North Norway in
1914 applied the scorched-earth
policy in the province of F'inmark
and Nord-Trons. In an area half
again as large as Denmark every
building was burned, wharves de-
stroyed, lines of transport broken,
and machinery ruined,
Taken altogether, as a result of
active warfare, sabotage. German
appropriation, and simple depreci-
alton without replacement. Nor
ways capital stock was reduced
by fifth during the war years.
Factories, machinery dwellings,
ships, railroads, autos, etc, with
a value equal to twenty per cent
Of the total prewar worth of her
capital equipment was destroyed.
Heavy Losses
The losses of real capital, al
though serious. were accompanied