NORWAY'S PREDICAMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 7, 8 January 1917, Page 4

NORWAY'S PREDICAMENT.

From time to time during the past year cabled reports have reached us of

serious friction between the German and Norwegian Governments. These disputes came to a climax in October last, when Xrrway formally announced that for , obvious reasons no submarines of any nationality would be permitted to enter Norwegian territorial waters except to land casualties or to avoid stress of weather. The German Government at i once protested against this announcement, declaring that it i 3 "inspired by unfriendly sentiments toward Germany." By way of comment it is only necessary to state that both Sweden and Holland had previously made similar announce-, ments without evoking any remonstrance from Germany, and the extremely arrogant and vindictive tone that the Germans have assumed on this subject suggests that the Kaiser and his counsellors have special reasons for forcing a quarrel upon Norway. There are many conceivable reasons for 6uch a course of action. One is that the Germans hope to take advantage of the national rivalry between Sweden and Norway, and thus to induce S-iveden to come in on *heir side ,1 if once Norway is forced into the arms of the Allies. Then the Germane could use the Norwegian fiords as naval bases against Britain, while cutting off all Norway's trade with us. A further reason is that Germany is anxious to | destroy Norway's mercantile marine in the Baltic and the North Sea, to facili-, tate her own commercial operations when the war is over; and this leads up to a question which is likely to assume grave importance for all neutral nations in the near future. Our readers -will notice that Herr Ballin, the virtual head of the German shipping companies, and the Kaiser's ■ personal friend, has just been advocat- ' ing the policy of "submarine ruthleeeness' in defiance of neutral opinion; and he has committed himself to the prediction ' that after the war Germany will possess i the finest mercantile marine in the [ world. The reference to neutral nations ! points clearly to the inner meaning of this indiscriminate destruction, of merchant shipping of all nationalities in which Germany is now engaged. Germany's purpose, as Herr Ballin so ! plainly intimates, is to use the British] blockade as an excuse for pushing "frightfulness to extremes, with the object of destroying the merchant vessels of all her most dangerous rivals, so that when peace comes her own shipping, which has been j sheltered in her own harbours or safely interned in foreign ports, will I have no competitors to face. Of course the Germans may have to reckon with the decision of the Allies and the neutral countries affected, to demand reparation and compel Germany to replace the ships she has sunk. But ac ! Hen- Ballin shrewdly observes, if the! Germans win they need not fear the consequences of 'Tuthlessneee," and if ' they lose they may be no worse off for i having crippled the seaborne commerce of their rivals.

Nothing could express more plainly than this the brutal contempt for every form of moral principle and obligation that characterises Germany as we know her to-day; and in the light of this frank confession it is easy to understand why President Wilson, in spite of his prejudices in favour of peace, felt compelled to warn Germany that such a policy as this might absolutely force the United States to take an active part in the war. But while the Germans still •hesitate to drive the Americans to the last extreme, they have no fears or scruples Up to the end of last October, German submarines and warships had sunk not less than oneseventh of the total merchant shipping of the Norwegians, valued at five millions sterling, with a lose of 150 lives. The percentage of total losses inflicted on the Norwegian mercantile marine is proportionately 5 per cent, greater than the loss which Britain has suffered; and yet Norway has not committed a single act of hostility against the Germans. It is easy to denounce such iniquities as these* in scathing language. "The disgraceful attempt of Germany to embroil the Scandinavian nations in the war," writes Mr. Lovat Fraser, "should meet with the reprobation of the whole world. Of all the primes she has committed none is worse than her malignant attack upon the Norwegian mercantile marine. It is the work of bullies and cowards, and sets the seal upon the evil deeds of "the Great Auarchist.' " But Germany cares for none of these tilings, and as her position grows more desperate we may look for even more startling proofs of her determination to be bound by no law, human or divine, and to wreak her wicked will upon all alike who are too weak or too irresolute to arm themselves in time againet the monstrous 'barbarism of "Kultur."

The Weather Bureau forecast for 24 hours from 9 a.m. this day is ac follows: "The indications are for variable .and strong breezes. Expect warm and humid conditions, with scattered showers. Barometer unsteady. Tides good. Sea moderate."

The Union Company's fine liner Niagara arrived at Auckland last night, with passengers, mails, and cargo, from Vancouver. She berthed late in the evening at the east side of the Queen's wharf, to allow her Canadian passengers to disembark. The weather, with the exception of during the early days of the voyage, was fine. On New Year's Xight a concert was held aboard the steamer, and the passengers report their holidays at sea-as being most enjoyable. The vessel leaves for Sydney to-night.

Mr. Jacob Marx and Mr. Cooper, both of whom are connected with Taranaki dairy concerns, were motoring home from Wellington, when, coming down Paekakariki Hill, the brake refused to act. The car ran into the bank and capsized- Mr. Marx was seriously bruised and cut about the body, and internal injuries are feared. Mr. Cooper sustained minor injuries.

The principal event at the Auckland Trotting Club's Meeting on Saturday was won by the Southern mare Steel Bell, which, starting second favourite, won easily. Another Southerner in Waterfall accounted for the Premier Handicap, the concluding event of the gathering, these being the only successes recorded by the visiting division.

The Auckland Trotting Club's Summer Meeting was concluded on Saturday, and with it concluded the Auckland summer racing carnival. The totalisator investments for the three days totalled £72,833 10/, -which brought the total for the seven days' racing to £330.061 10/, which is easily a Dominion record. At the Christchurch spring carnival, which extended over the game number of days, the sum of £294,487 was passed through the machines.

Judging from the experience or a i party of motorists things must be pretty bad up Xapier way. A quartet left Palmerston on Wednesday for Auckland, yiaTaupo.but when they reached Hastjings they were informed that owing to ' the heavy rains the roads to Xapier and : the surrounding countryside, especially the low-lying flats around Farndon way, were all under water and that many cars were held up. There was nbthing for it but for the party to motor back ito Palmerston, which they did, catching ! the midnight express to Auckland last night. The car was left in Palmerston, to be forwarded by train to Auckland , J next day.

j Writing to his mother from London, a Wellington man who is attached to the Ist Auckland Battalion, ha 3 some j interesting comment to make on the Home military training. He says that he has learnt more in one week with the Home training than he had learnt in New Zealand the whole time he was here. The Home training comprised a different course altogether. "My word, it does not take them long to teach us, either," states the writer. "I handle a bayonet now as if it were a toy. Then we have to learn bomb-throwing. For four days I have been doing nothing but learning to throw these, and now 1 can pitch them like marbles. We must lea,rh to and after two or.three days here 'we" r can' r Sßoot anything! a««a second's notice. Then we must protect ourselves against gas attacks and practice with our gas helmets for two or three hours daily. I tell you, in New Zealand you have a glorious time, and are ignorant of what's going on." i "Among the many caeketa which Mr 1 Massey will carry off to the Dominion as trophies of the enthusiasm with which Ihe has been received throughout the United Kingdom, none will be more treasured than the address of welcome given him at Limavady, his native town;" writes our London correspondent. '"The address is incorporated in a handsome album, bound in rich red morocco with a monogram tooled in the centre of the front. Facing the title page is a beautiful water-colour painting of the 'Dog's Leap,' a romantic and probably the most picturesque epot on the Roe. The title page is illuminated in colours and gold, and contains in addition to the wording a little painting of the cruiser New Zealand, the Dominion's gift to the Empire; on either side of it there are trophies of flags of the Allies surrounding shields with the arms of Greart Britain and New Zealand emblazoned on them. The next two pages, richly illuminated, contain the wording of the address, and here let into the decorative surround are beautiful little views of Irish scenery likely to be of interest to the recipient, also, small views of the church and school associated with Mr Maseehs boyhood days. The next page contains the names of the committee of the presentation, and here for embellishment three dainty views of Ulster scenery. The-next four pages are water-colour pictures of rare charm of the beauty spots in the neighbourhood of Limavady, the River hoe lending itself well to the artistic brush. Six monotint views of the streets of Limavady are in the remaining pages of the album. reproduction of the seal of the old Corporation of NewtownLimavady is also introduced -with good effect, the whole forming a very artistic and beautiful souvenir of the occasion."

"Vanoc" (Mr Arnold White) in Sunday's •'Referee" (London) tells the thrilling story of the evolution of the British High Speed Alloy Company's Works and the enterprise by which a former German monopoly has been countered. It is a story showing how the energy and patriotic self-abnegation of two men—Mr Arthur Balfour, of Sheffield, and Mr A. J. Hobson, neither of these men being the Cabinet Minister or the economist who also bear these names. These two 6et to work to get the various English firms hitherto working in the extremist rivalry into a working organisation which is now able to place high speed steel on the market. Much of the success of the actual_ works are due to the managership of Mr Julius Vogel, son of the late Sir Julius Vogel, a Premier of New Zealand. It is interesting to add as a footnote to "Vanoc's" panegyric of that company's work in which he declares that "tungsten is better than tongue-sters for procuring cheap food," tungsten being an absolute necessity in the manufacture of hard steel, that only three weeks ago a cable from Sydne3' announced the discovery of eight (square miles of wolframbearing area having been found at Hatches Creek, Northern Territory, and tungsten is found in wolfram ore. Tungsten is used as an alloy for hardening high-speed steels and on heavy guns and armour plate. Prior to the war Burma b was tTie sole tungsten-producing country, and Germany absorbed the whole of its output, the secret of handling which the German possessed. U'he interesting conjunction points to one other factor in making Australia, via zinc and tungsten, a '-key" country in all British industry. So New Zealand brain and Australian tungsten will give the dear Old Country another lift on the hard path «he /» treading. '.. ■ ■ ~