Larache by Sept. 4 had occupied Zautum, where it intrenched, while detachments constructed a blockhouse at Benigorfa, and other blockhouses, protecting the bivouacs. The next move, it was stated, would be upon Wazan, the sacred

town of the Moroccans, where the Grand Sherif resides, and where the Sherifian forces have an important centre. These military operations in Morocco cost Spain about $9,000,000 for the first six months of the year.

NORWAY AND DENMARK

THE

HE recent developments in Norway and Denmark, which have discredited the Moscow reports of a revolution at Trondhjem and the declaration of a Socialist Republic for Norway, witness again the Bolshevist blindness to the effect of national traits in determining national action in Scandinavian countries. These developments centre in the national movement, begun in Denmark and patterned after by Norway, there called "Samfundhjaelpen," Community Aid." is a very expressive word in Danish-Norwegian, signifying community, society and national unity. "Hjaelp" means not only help but also succor, remedy against. The organization of this movement is hailed with great satisfaction by the leading Scandinavian press, as assuring relief from the long plague of strikes, apathy on the part of workmen and consequent under-production.

66

Samfund

or

This Community Aid movement came into being with the great seamen's and dockworkers' strike in Copenhagen in March, when the Radical Left, the Socialists and other friends of the dismissed Zahle Ministry called a general strike to force their politics through. The threatened crippling of all industry and agriculture in Denmark called into action the farmers' co-operative societies throughout the country, who placed their services at the disposal of the authorities; the latter promised protection to these volunteer workers, with military force if necessary. Business men and brainworkers joined in, with the result that "the general strike was instantly stricken down."

After that a solid organization was formed in every parish to provide against such another emergency, and at a convention, held in July at Copenhagen, the union of parish chiefs arranged to support Community Aid in the future, whenever there should come a labor stagnation-through great strikes or lockouts, blockades or boycotts-whose effects are destructive to the functions of

necessary industries. Thus Community Aid became a national organization of both men and women of all ages, who hold themselves ready as volunteers for all sorts of necessary work. Beginning with farmers, the movement now comprises people of all social conditions. If the police find the situation getting out of hand, the military takes over the protection of volunteer workers against violence.

In Norway, too, the viking temper of the long-suffering public was aroused to form a similar organization. In Bergen the striking laborers forbade the burial of the dead. One of their own number was the first to be hit by this decree. A laborer was denied by his comrades the right to fill up his deceased father's grave after the body had been lowered. Public indignation was intense; the worm turned; and the Norse word for worm means also serpent and dragon.

Norway's Community Aid is established in association with the Norse Farmers' League, the Freighters' and Shipowners' League of Norway, the Industrial League of Norway, the Handworkers' Union of Norway, the Mercantile League of Norway and the Bank Union (bankforening) of Norway. These organizations pledge themselves to stand

together "to check and repel irresponsible men who wish to cripple the community, stop its pulsation." There, as in Denmark, the Community Aid takes over necessary work at the solicitation of the public authorities and is protected by the same. In the words of a Christiania editorial: "This is not strikebreaker work. It is simply self-defense on the part of society."

As results of the formation of the Norwegian Community Aid, the fighting spirit of the laborers is decidedly less pronounced than heretofore. A railroad strike which had threatened to tie up traffic was arranged about the middle of August by representatives of the Government and the Central Organization of Skilled Workers. The railroad men acceded to the Government demand that they resume work pending the issue of further negotiations. The coast traffic strike, which was declared in sympathy with the railroad men, was consequently called off. The protracted strike of municipal workers at Bergen collapsed, the workers making overtures for negotiations.

The new railroad strike threatens to tie up all the Norwegian railroads for some time to come, but there are signs of improvement. The Bolsheviki and Left Socialists who foment such disturbances have no foothold in politics. Everywhere in the municipal and Parliamentary elections they have been turned out or reduced to minorities. Of the 126 members of the Storthing the Socialists number only eighteen, and most of these are moderates who fiercely oppose Bolshevism. The Norwegian Ministry, which was formed in June, consists of eight Conservative and two Liberal members. The holding of the Twelfth Interparliamentary Conference of the three Northern countries at Christiania, in the latter part of August, is cited both in the Scandinavian and British press as proof of the calmness and stability of the institutions of Norway.

As Norway imports nearly all her foodstuffs and many of her other necessities of life, her difficulties are aggravated by the depreciation of her currency. Most of her imports come from

the United States, and as the supply was cut off during the war, she was compelled to draw largely upon her reserve stock. However, extensive coal mines are being developed in the extreme northern part of Norway, over and above the wealth she is developing in the "white coal" of her waterfalls. Work continues on the plans to convey hydroelectric light, heat and power to Denmark by means of aerial or submarine cables. The banks urge the people to thrift and hard work, and since Aug. 19 the Norwegian Government has prohibited the importation of luxuries. Under this head are included passenger automobiles, motorcycles, toys, floor coverings, precious-stone jewelry, pianos, gramophones and other musical instruments, and the finer grades of cotton, silk and wool textiles, dresses, glassware, porcelain, furniture, furs and fur clothing, footwear, watches, &c.

From Sept. 8 to 18 the capital of Norway was dominated by the quinquennial convention of the International Council of Women. The Storthing Building was put at the disposal of the 350 women delegates, of whom the great majority were English and American. The Storthing allowed 50,000 kroner to go with the donations of the meeting, and Christiania showed great public and private hospitality. Mrs. Nico Hambro, President of the Norse Women's National Council, bade the guests welcome in English. The Norse Second Vice President, Miss Kirsten Holst, greeted them in French. The First Vice President was to greet them in German, but the German women did not attend, preferring to stand aside so long as Germany is not invited into the League of Nations. Foremost among the foreign guests, of course, were the directors, who are Presidents of the various national councils. The President of the International Council of Women is Lady Aberdeen. The President of the American National Council of Women is Mrs. Philip North Moore of St. Louis, formerly President of the American Federation of Women's Clubs. The convention at Christiania had thirteen women representatives from South America, besides delegates from

Mexico, Portugal, Turkey, Ukraine, Tasmania, Canada and all the chief nations of Europe. The subjects discussed included education, economic and industrial problems which concern women, national well-being, ethical standards and the League of Nations.

On Sept. 8 a cablegram from Copenhagen to the Danish Legation at Washington, D. C., announced that the amendment to the Danish Constitution incorporating North Slesvig into Denmark was ratified in a general referendum, 613,471 voting yes against 19,490 voting no. The Danish Constitution requires that an amendment must be ratified by at least 45 per cent. of the total number of persons entitled to vote. As 47.5 per cent. voted for the Slesvig amendment, North Slesvig became a part of the Kingdom of Denmark. The Danish Socialists were in favor of the incorporation of North Slesvig, but dissatisfied with the constitutional amendment for political reasons; so the party abstained from voting.

SWEDEN

Encouraged by the enforcement of prohibition in America, a Government committee appointed in 1913 to consider the liquor question made a report at the end of August, recommending the prohibition of all drinks having an alcoholic content exceeding 2.8 per cent. Moreover, the committee proposed that absolute prohibition be submitted to a national referendum and made effective if favored by three-fifths of the electorate.

Since 1913 Sweden has had a law regulating the sale and use of liquor. Allowances of liquor are thereby made according to one's income and domestic respon

sibilities. Non-transferable coupons allowing four liters of "hard liquor" a month are issued to a man, which coupons are withheld if he is convicted of illegal use of them. Three drinks of "hard liquor" are allowed at a meal, to cost not less than 50 cents. If through use of liquor the head of a family jeopards his rent, the authorities put him on short beer rations until he makes good his overdraft of the family exchequer. The stopping of liquor imports during the war practically amounted to prohibition, but it gave rise to innumerable illicit stills.

The death of Anders Zorn, at the age of 60 years, removed Sweden's foremost artist. His work is reviewed on Pages

125-6.

ICELAND

The Danish Legation at Washington announced on Sept. 11 that King Christian of Denmark had just appointed a new Minister to his own country, namely, a Minister to represent Iceland at the Danish Court. Denmark, in 1918, voluntarily recognized Iceland as a free and sovereign State, united with Denmark only by the same King. The Icelanders are absolutely independent in home affairs, but are represented by Denmark in foreign affairs; they are, however, entitled to send out their own representatives when special circumstances render it expedient.

Last year the Danish Government appointed as its Minister to Iceland Mr. Boeggild, former Danish Consul General in New York. Now Iceland will have as its own Minister to Denmark the Icelandic lawyer Svein Bjoernsson.

BELGIUM

MERICAN athletes showed their

events of the Olympic games at Antwerp, and in the final score made 212 points against 105 for Finland, the nearest competitor. The other nations scored

as follows: Sweden, 95; England, 85; France, 34; Italy, 28; South Africa, 24; Canada, 10; Norway, 10; Denmark, 9; Esthonia, 8; New Zealand, 5; Belgium, 5; Australia, 5; Czechoslovakia, 3; Holland, 2, and Luxemburg, 1. While the athletes of the United States proved

their unquestionable superiority in running, jumping, pole vaulting and weight throwing, still it was impressively demonstrated that the European countries, especially the Scandinavian countries, have greatly improved in athletic

prowess.

The project of a defensive alliance of France and Belgium was signed by Marshal Foch and the Belgian Chief of Staff, but on Aug. 31 it was decided to limit its scope to an agreement not considered absolutely binding on either party, resembling the entente cordiale between France and England before the war; that is to say, a moral obligation which can be repudiated by the Parliament of either State.

Belgian railway workers, like other laborers in many parts of the world, sympathized with the Bolsheviki during their struggle with the Poles and decided to prevent the transportation from or through Belgium of troops or munitions intended for Poland. General Janson, Minister of War, and Paul Hymans, the Foreign Minister, resigned because they differed on this point from their Socialist colleagues in the three-party Cabinet, but General Janson withdrew his resignation the next day on account of the serious situation it might cause, both Chambers having adjourned.

Previous to adjournment the Belgian

Chamber, by a unanimous vote, passed a law providing for a bonus for all Belgian soldiers, regardless of rank. Each soldier will receive 75 francs for each month of service at the front between Aug. 1, 1914, and Nov. 11, 1918, and 50 francs for each month of service at the rear or while interned as a prisoner of

war.

HOLLAND

The tercentenary celebration of the preparations of the Pilgrim Fathers to sail for America began in Holland on Aug. 29 and lasted until Sept. 2. Memorial services were held in Leyden and Amsterdam and the delegates made a boat trip from Leyden to Delfshaven along the picturesque canal that the Pilgrim Fathers themselves traveled 300 years ago. On the last day the delegates left Holland for Plymouth. Queen Wilhelmina received the American Minister and officers at her Summer palace, Het Loo, in honor of the occasion.

The former Kaiser recently built a wall of logs sawed by himself around the place where he works, so as to avoid the gaze of possible onlookers. This not being sufficient, he ordered a high fence built. When a Prussian Junker visited him while at work chopping down a tree he is said to have suddenly exclaimed as the chips fell, "This is the way heads will fly when I return to Germany."

apologies were made by Dr. Simons, the German Foreign Minister, to the French Government, and later the payment of the indemnity and arrangements for diplomatic satisfaction were worked out.

All through the month there was unrest in Upper Silesia and along the German-Polish frontier, due to racial clashes complicated by attempts on the part of German workers to prevent the transportation of military supplies to the Poles for their war with Russia. The contents of many of the trains, when held up, were found to be destined not for the Poles, but for the troops of occupation in the plebiscite districts; but the agitated masses were not inclined to make fine distinctions, so trouble followed. In a clash at Kattowitz on Aug. 17 between French troops and a crowd one soldier was killed, while nine civilians were slain and twenty-six wounded. This skirmish occurred in connection with a strike called by the miners and other workers of Upper Silesia against the continuation of the Russo-Polish war. These troubles in the Silesian mining country reduced the output of the coal so much needed by the German Government in order to enable it to live up to the terms of the Spa agreement and deliver 2,000,000 tons a month to the Allies. Consequently, the German peace delegation in Paris on Sept. 9 handed a note to the Council of Ambassadors directing attention to the Upper Silesian situation

and pointing out that further disturbances there would make it almost impossible to furnish the September quota. It appears that the Ruhr output alone is not expected to be large enough to make it possible to dispense altogether with the Silesian coal. On Sept. 3 the French Government announced that the German coal deliveries up to Aug. 28 had reached 1,500,000, and probably 1,600,000 tons at the end of the month. On Sept. 5 Otto Hué, the leader of the German union miners, told The New York Times Berlin correspondent that the monthly quota had been fully delivered, with the exception of some 20,000 to 30,000 tons coming to Italy, which could not be delivered because of transportation difficulties in Silesia.

At a conference in London on Aug. 24, attended by Andres Hermes, the German Food Minister; Charles A. McCurdy, the British Food Controller, and representatives of France, Belgium and Italy, a small Anglo-German technical committee was formed to examine Germany's most urgent food needs and to work out plans to see that the Ruhr miners got the increased rations necessary to enable them to speed up production.

The miners' union continued to urge the nationalization of the mines. This contention was supported by a report issued on Sept. 3 by the special Government commission investigating the feasibility of socializing German industry,