UNREST IN ICELAND

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17498, 19 June 1931, Page 4

UNREST IN ICELAND

DESIRE FOR REPUBLIC GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE The country having the world’s oldest Parliament is threatened by the wave of political unrest that lias swept many governments in recent months. Coming close on the heels of the overthrow oi the Spanish monarchy, a caTiP paign has been started by students ail'd others in Iceland to break the political bonds that bind them to Denmark and set up a republic of their own. Tho storm broke recenlty when Iceland’s Premier dissolved its Parliament apparently to stop a debate aimed against the Danish Government and Republicans are up in arms because Danish royal power can be used against a majority vote. Iceland is proud of its age-old tradition that there must he no interference with homo powers, a tradition that began 1000 years ago when the first Alting, or parliament, met under the open sky. The country was settled by Norsemen in the ninth century. Cut oit from the rest of tho world they developed their own system of government. Many people think of Iceland as a liny island in the frozen waters of the North Atlantic. Actually, however, it is 20 per cent, larger than Ireland. Iceland’s population is ICO,OCO, of whom 22,000 live at Reykjavik, tho capital. It is of volcanic origin and lias several volcanoes, the host known of which is Hckin, a mile high. Valleys are given over to cultivation, banning and fishing are its chief industries. Although it has no railways, it has an extensive system of good roads and splendid schools. Crime is ’practically unknown. Iceland was nn independent/ republic from 930 to 1263, when it joined Norway. The two camo under Danish rule in 1381, and when Norway separated from Denmark in 1815, Iceland remained under the Danes. Tn 1918, Denmark finally granted the demands of tho independent Icelanders and recognised tho country as a sovereign state, united with Denmark only in that the Danish king, Christian, is also king of Iceland, though the, ancient Alting still functioned.