THE SCANDINAVIAN CONFLICT.

Evening Post, Volume LXIX, Issue 118, 20 May 1905, Page 9

THE SCANDINAVIAN CONFLICT.

A long and extremely inroicstitig letter from Dr. Nanwn on the Swedish-Norwe-gian conflict appeared in hint Saturday's Times. We hnvo not apace to go into details, but may bi icily summarise Dr. Nanaen's contentions. They are that while there in no word about Consuls in tho "Rigsakt," or Act of Union, of 1815, the clauses dealing with Norwegian Consuls in tho Norwegian "(iruiullov," or Constitution, of 1814, have never bet-n altered, and thut the partnership in Consuls which subsequently K tcw up ittttninati(.i!ly was a temporary [iri.mgeme.nt dictated by piactioal convenience, lmt hn.s never boon obligatory uiufcr (ho Ac( of ('nioii. A Jong struggle to readjust the equilibrium, up.set by the gradual growth of Swedish ascendency in the first seventy years of tho Union, led finally to tho appointment of a joint Committee in 1902 to consider the question of the separate Consular Service, which imported unanimously that "it was possible to appoint scpnintc Norwegian Consuls sok'ly responsible to Norwegian authority, and separate Swedish Consuls solely responsible to Swedish authority." Dr. Nansen attributes the f.iilino of the subseqiieiil iiegotialioiw to tho b.id faith of tho bwcdi.sh (iovernniciit, and in particular of the- Swedish Premier, in openly going buck on their pledged hoicl, and introducing new conditions — e.g., that Norwegian Consuls should be. 10inovable by the Swedish Koieign Minister, a Swedish official lespoiiMble only to Sweden-— none of which could bo re'eon-cik-d with Norway's position us a sovereign Slate. We do not winh to prejudgo (ho question without hearing the Swedish •side, hut | here r/in he no doubt that tlio Norwegians have a very stiong case; nor can they be blamed for resolutely piewmg a cliiim whicli, on tlio nxprewi admission of the Swedish cxpi-rUs, is compatiblu with thu mnintennnco of the Union.