[This speech was delivered by Oscar Haugan at Brand's Park on May 17, the Norwegian Independence Day.]

It gives me great pleasure to be here today and to have the privilege of addressing the Norwegian National League of America.

The Seventeenth of May is to the sons and daughters of Norway what the Fourteenth of July is to the French people and the Fourth of July to the American people. I have sometimes wondered why, in the study of history, especially ancient history, more time and thought has not been given to the study of the European people of the Northland. Historians through the ages have given to the world accounts of the Greek and Roman methods of living, their religion, and tales of the rise and fall of those mighty empires. Of the ancient history of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, there is comparatively little, and yet the history of Scandinavia is 2full of life and romance, tragedy, story and song.

Geologists tell us that there was a time when the British Isles formed a part of the continent of Europe; that as the ages went by the land rose, not very much, but enough so that it gave shape to Denmark, Holland, and Belgium, although these countries are but little above sea level. Denmark is one of the few peninsulas in the world that points northward. The Scandinavian Peninsula stretches south from its northern union with the continent for over a thousand miles until it almost touches the peninsula of Denmark. A great mountain range runs down the length of the peninsula and many of the heights of the Scandinavian Alps are between six and eight thousand feet. From these heights the mountains slope gently in some places and very abrupt in others, and there are numerous lakes, rivers, and streams draining eastward to the Baltic and westward in a shorter, steeper slope to the Atlantic.

From the great heart of Asia, centuries before Christ was born, there came the great Teutonic race. Many of these settled in the heart of Europe, others pressed 3on to the Peninsula and islands of the north, gradually driving back the older people whom they found there, the Finns and Lapps, to the frozen north where their descendants are found today, in Finland and Lapland. The newcomers became known as Scandinavians, from the Province of Scanea. The names Northmen and Norsemen comes from the position of the country in which these people found their homes in the north--between ocean and mountains.

The religion of the Scandinavians was much like that of the forefathers of the other dominant races that have come to make up our American citizenry. For centuries the principal occupation of the Scandinavians appeared to be the art of war and fighting with each other, but after a time their hearts stirred for a wider field of adventure and glory. And so the Norsemen came like a tempest, somewhat civilized and Christianized, to the coast of Ireland and Scotland and to the islands near them; they also came to the coasts of England and France. When these men came down from the north, those whom they attacked and fought, we are told, would send up a prayer to Heaven asking that they be delivered from the rage of the Norsemen. For a time the Norsemen were content to retire from their 4raids with their booty and go back to their homes, but after a time they began to settle in the countries which they conquered. We remember how Rolla went into France and founded Normandy. We know how other Norsemen settled Iceland and the islands near Scotland where their descendants are still known by their Scandinavian names and appearance.

While the descent of these Norsemen upon their victims was terrible, it infused a new breath of life into those countries. The men of the north had a way of adapting themselves, just as we have today, to the manner and speech of the people among whom they settled. In Normandy we find that the Norsemen became French and in England we know how the Danes mixed with the English.

In Norway there were two kings, both named Olaf. The second Olaf, St. Olaf, the great hero of Norway, was known for his wonderful, adventurous life, and still more perhaps for his tragic death which took a firm and lasting hold upon the people of his country. It was said of him that he awaited the time when he could establish his claim to his father's throne, that he endeavored to bring about 5certain reforms, and that when facing a crowd of his angered countrymen who objected to these reforms, he struck down their idol with his club. It is said that when he fought his last desperate fight and died, that there was a total eclipse of the sun and the people thought it was a sign of God's anger.

It was in the days of the Olafs that Leif the Lucky sailed away to the west, to Greenland and the shores of North America. The impression that has been left by the Norwegian people in the countries of Europe and America is one which cannot but appeal to those who study the migration of nations and the influence which they have had upon the countries to which they migrated. Here in the United States we have many hundreds of thousands of Norwegians and their descendants of the first and second generations. As for Chicago, we can be proud of the great number of men and women who have made lasting contributions in the arts, science, journalism, music, and the ministry, yes, in every walk of life. In the migration of people, as a rule, men follow the same degree of latitude, and so to the northern and northwestern states of our own country the larger part of the migration from Norway to this country has come. In Minnesota, Wisconsin, 6and the Dakotas probably thirty-five per cent of the people were born in Norway or are of Norwegian parentage. They came into the Northwest with bare hands, with hope and courage, and have done their part in the development of the country. In Chicago, we look up to the men who have, so to speak, stopped at the crossroads and built, each in his field, almost from the very birth of this great city.

The hundred and one years that have rolled by since the birth of Norway's present independence have been memorable years in the world's history. Probably in no century has such advancement been made in all ways and in all lines as in the past century, and I wish briefly to note a few of the important steps of progress taken.

A hundred years ago Napoleon was ending his stormy career as dictator of Europe; the United States was involved in war with England; the middle states and the northwestern states were almost undiscovered country, known to but few people who were mostly trappers and missionaries. A hundred years ago the use of anesthetics had not been thought of. I have in my library an encyclopedia that was printed in 71797. In this book there is a long article concerning the progress that had been made up to that time in surgery. One long article is given testifying to the advancement made by the surgeons in amputation, and in brief it reads about like this: That before the surgeon begins an operation he should be sure to have plenty of assistants in order that the patient may be held perfectly still during the operation. Today if we were to read an article of that kind, written in good faith, it would make our blood run cold, and yet the people of the world for centuries suffered untold agonies whenever an operation became necessary.

The telegraph and the ocean cable, joining the corners of the world, come within the memory of men still living. A little later came the telephone which made it possible for even the novice to speak over the lines to friends and neighbors, not only at short distances, but recently men have spoken clear across the continent.

Travel through the country a century ago was by canal, river, or stagecoach. Then came the discovery of steam and methods by which it might be used. Today we 8have magnificent lines of railroads with branches reaching all parts of our country. Only the other day an Italian, Guglielmo Marconi, discovered wireless telegraphy, one of the greatest inventions of all time; its effect upon the life and commerce of the world has already been marvelous. Today there is hardly a steamer upon the Great Lakes or the oceans that is not equipped with this silent messenger.

In all this, we, both Norwegians, and our cousins, the Danes and the Swedes, have contributed much. Here in Chicago we have outstanding educators, lawyers, artists, etc. Two of the greatest world-renowned surgeons, have lived here, or are living here now, Dr. Svening Dahl and Dr. Christian Fenger, both Danes; they are considered the greatest men of their day. We could name hundreds of outstanding men among our people, not only in America, but also here in Chicago.

A little over fifty years ago, during the Civil War, a Scandinavian invented the "Monitor". The idea of an iron ship was ridiculed, and the inventor was made the target of much adverse criticism. When an effort was made to have the United 9States Government buy the "Monitor," the United States Naval Board refused its recommendation and the proposition to buy was turned down. At last, pressure was brought to bear upon President Lincoln and his cabinet, and it was agreed to try the "Monitor," but only with the provision that a bond should be given, and if the ship did not perform as claimed, the Government should be reimbursed for the money paid. The inventor, John Erickson, had no money and the little shipbuilding company that had built the "Monitor" had exhausted all funds. But three patriotic Americans stepped forward and paid for the bond, not from any monetary interest, but because they had the interests of the country at heart and were patriotic, loyal, American citizens.

The story of what the little "Monitor" did in Hampden Roads is known throughout the world, and after the battle between the "Merrimac" and the "Monitor" had been fought, the wooden warships of the ages were relegated to the past.

Today the question arises in men's minds, when they see the terrible conflict between the nations of Europe, whether the iron ships have not also become obsolete, and whether the airships and the submarines have not taken their place.

What the outcome of this war upon the other side of the world may be no man knows. I hope myself that it may mean the disarmament of nations and an agreement among them in the future that all international questions shall be submitted to international arbitration. I do not believe that it is possible for nations to continue to pile up enormous war debts as they are now doing, either in the conduct of war or in preparation for wars that may come. It has been said by one of the most prominent men who ever sat in the halls of Congress that of all the revenues of our own country, seventy-one and one-half per cent is expended each year in preparing for war, in caring for the present upkeep of any army and navy, and in paying the debts of wars which have taken place in the past. Were these vast sums of money turned into the avenues of peace, a heavy burden might be removed from our people and an indefinite amount of good might be done in the development of the vast country in which you and I live.

While in Christiania last year, I went into one of the parks [museums] in that city, and through the courtesy and kindness of the curator I had the opportunity of viewing exhibits concerning the ways and customs of the Norsemen of the old 11days. I had an opportunity to see the old viking ship which has come down from the past, and as I stood beside that ship with my little boy I could not help but wonder at the courage of the men who in those olden days had the temerity to trust themselves in so frail a bark and sail as they did, not only to the islands in the seas nearby, but to the shores of Iceland, Greenland, and even to the shores of America.

Norway is not a large country either in area or population, but it is a healthy country, located way up in the northern part of Europe, with its rocky mountains, beautiful valleys, magnificent fjords leading up from the sea, its people who through the ages have been a hardy, sturdy, industrious people. I never shall forget last year when with my family and party we stood upon the deck of our steamer and watched the shores of Norway as we approached them: rocky, rough, with little vegetation, and wind swept from the ocean. But as we crept inside the fjord leading up to the beautiful Hanseatic Bergen, the view gradually softened and we began to see the trees, houses, wharves, and boats that told the life of a great people.

The cordiality with which we were received by those people, the same homely cordiality we find among our people here, will live with us as long as life shall last. We arrived on a Sunday and it seemed as though the whole city was out to bid us welcome. To us, who had never been in Bergen before, it was a new and strange sight, and in many ways different from that which we had expected. After our short visit there, we took another steamer and proceeded up the coast toward the fine old city of Trondhjem. There again we were kindly received and every courtesy and kindness was shown us. We visited the old cathedral which is being gradually restored to its old glory and where the kings and queens of Norway for centuries have been crowned. We went up to the falls and saw the magnificent things that water power has done, is doing, and will do for the city. From Trondhjem we started for North Cape, and above the Arctic Circle we saw the sun at midnight three times. In the Arctic Circle we visited a city that is without a railroad and yet is a city full of life, fine buildings, and splendid people. Then to Hammerfest and North Cape. Our ship turned south again, over to Lofoten Islands, into the beautiful Trold Fjord, back to the mainland, and again to Trondhjem. From Trondhjem we proceeded to Christiania 13over the narrow gauge as far as Hamar, and then over the broad gauge to Christiania. All across the country from Trondhjem to Christiania the Norwegian flags were flying from every staff and pole. We appreciated the honor and the kindness of the people in flying their flags in honor of our visit.

The colors of the American flag are the same as those of Norway's emblem. The government of Norway is a liberal government and in many respects is fully as liberal as that of our own country. Our visit to Christiania is still with us. The splendid exercises in Frogner Park, the presentation of the Lincoln statue which was made by a young Norwegian-American sculptor, Paul Fjelde [born and raised in Chicago], the banquets, the kindness and courtesy of the people everywhere--it all appealed to our hearts. And since we left Norway with the feeling that we were leaving a splendid people and splendid country, that we were fortunate here in the United States that so many of her sons and daughters have come to us--this feeling creates within our hearts the hope and wish that sometime we may go back again and renew once more the friendship formed in our little visit over there last year. When we remember the farms, the shops and factories, the 14educational institutions, then we know why the Norwegian immigrant has had such a great share in building agriculture, industry, and science here in America.

Included in the passengers on the ship last year was a splendid Norwegian-American singing society. Its members sang many times on shipboard, and when the monument of Abraham Lincoln was presented to the people of Norway on last July 4th, in Christiania, this singing society kindly came and sang the songs of America and Norway. I shall never forget the music under those trees in that beautiful park when thousands of people, led by a splendid band from Luther College and the magnificent Norwegian-American chorus that sang the national hymns of Norway and America.

I had the opportunity while in Norway to visit many men occupying distinguished positions in the Norwegian government, including His Majesty the King, members of the cabinet, and members of the Storthing who reminded one of Senator Knute Nelson of Minnesota, and the Dane, State Senator Niels Juul of Chicago. I also visited ministers of the churches and civilians in various walks of life. Many 15of them asked me what I thought of the future of Norway. I did not answer that question at first because, for a man from the outside who had not been in Norway since childhood, it would be presumptuous to attempt to answer so big a question. But I told them that I believed that God Almighty had never done anything in nature without looking forward to the future, that while it was not possible for men to know or understand His ways at once, they gradually unfold themselves and eventually men are able to grasp some of the great facts and forces in nature which the Almighty planned from the beginning of the world.

In California for many years the light, heat, and power used in that state was produced by steam that was generated by the use of coal brought at great expense from over the mountains lying to the east, or in the holds of vessels from Australia and New Zealand. At last someone discovered that there was oil in Southern California, and from that little beginning has grown up one of the greatest industries on the Pacific coast. Today the trains, the electric plants, in fact, almost every branch of service that requires light and power, is made possible by the burning of crude oil that nature placed in the bowels of the earth 16ages ago. In my own state God Almighty in times gone by placed great deposits of coal that wo call lignite. Geologists tell us that the coal is young yet, that it should have had many centuries given to it to have made it into coal such as is found in the soft coal belts of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, but it is a good coal and there are vast deposits of it. I believe that within a short time, with new methods of mining, the coal which lies below the surface of our prairies in North Dakota will be the only coal used throughout the Dakotas and Minnesota. Nature intended that it should be so, but it has taken men years and years to develop and find out the right method of utilizing it.

Norway is blessed in having her coast washed by that magic Gulf Stream that starts upon its course from the United States and sweeps across the Atlantic Ocean, washing the shores of western Europe, and making it possible for men to live and thrive in a country which would otherwise be uninhabitable.

It was a surprise to me to find so many Norwegian people who not only spoke their own language, but spoke English, German, and French as well. I found that in the 17Norwegian schools English and German were among the branches that were being taught. In art, literature, and all other things that go to build up the beautiful side of national life as well as the material side, Norway is and has been doing her part, and she has given to America some of the greatest men in arts and literature. From her sturdy manhood and womanhood she has sent her people across the seas to many countries, and in every one of these countries her sons and daughters have made their impression. Thousands upon thousands of Norwegian people have made the United States their home and have done their part in making this country that which it is. We turn back the pages of history fifty years and we find that when the Civil War was on, Abraham Lincoln had no more sturdy and loyal supporters than the Norwegians. And the Fifteenth Wisconsin Regiment, composed of Norwegians from Chicago, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, went to the front and made an enviable name for itself, a name that stands out clearly and bravely in the history of the greatest civil conflict that was ever waged within the confines of a nation. Today, serving with honor in the United States Congress, we have a number of men either born in Norway or of Norwegian parentage. Norwegian-Americans have been governors of states; they have occupied positions 18of trust upon the district and supreme benches of their states; they have had their part in the halls of our legislatures, and they have done their part in the religious and educational life of our country. We find that the Norwegian people have stood upon the side of temperance and right living; they have participated in the work for moral uplift that helps to make for good citizenship and the upbuilding of a nation. In the United States, that great melting pot of nations, the Norwegians have become thoroughly Americanized while still retaining the love for the old land across the sea. To my mind the man who remembers the home of his forefathers makes a better citizen in his adopted country because of his loyalty and his love for the land of his ancestors, and I am glad to be here to speak to these good citizens.

The world is in the midst of a great crisis. What the outcome may be only God himself can tell. It is for you and for me to do our part as God gives us to see that part in the endeavor to uphold the hands of our Government at Washington, and may honorable peace be preserved by the United States with all nations.

And now, in closing, I say to you and to you, let us look forward with courage to 19the problems that are before us and let each of us do his part in the effort to make this Republic of the United States of America stronger, to make its people better, to help in the cause of education and right living, and to do all that which shall make for the best in American citizenship.

To the people across the sea whose one hundred and first anniversary of independence we are celebrating, let us bid them God speed and let us pray that they may be spared from becoming involved in the great conflict which is destroying so many nations in Europe; and in the years to come may Norway's star grow stronger, brighter, and better, and may the relationship between Norway and America be brought closer together. Let us hope that at some time a national union shall come when all nations of the earth under God shall become one.