sian capital!

And with all friends of Hungary I hope that that country will
soon throw off the trance of Prussianism, which has led the Dual
Monarchy into a Dance of Death.

CHAPTER XVI

GERMAN INFLUENCE ON THE NORTHERN NEUTRALS

Just as I had the opportunity to study conditions in Austria, so
also I came in contact with the politics and diplomacy of the
nations contiguous to Germany on the north.

My grandfather, Benjamin F. Angel, was American Minister to
Sweden and Norway and on leaving received from the King the Order
of St. Olaf. I have always taken a deep interest in Scandinavian
affairs and it behooves the American people to regard closely
what is happening nowadays in Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

The outbreak of the European War in 1914 served to bring the
three northern nations close together. Their Kings met in
conference and a peace monument was erected on the boundary of
Norway and Sweden as if to proclaim to the world that in spite of
their recent separation, Norway and Sweden were sister countries.

The people of these three countries are of the same blood and
their languages are somewhat similar. Norwegian and Danish
written are practically the same. But there is quite a difference
in pronunciation. Swedish is more like German and the pronunciation
is not as difficult to learn as that of Norwegian and Danish. In
Norway, there are older dialects, differing from Danish, and
there has lately been a great movement in favour of a more national
language. Many Norwegians regard the official Danish-Norwegian as a
reminder of old subjection to Denmark and not at all fitted for
the new independent Norwegian kingdom. The new national language
is called "Landsmaal."

Sweden and Norway were both under one king from 1814 to 1905. In
that year after a peaceful secession, Prince Charles of Denmark,
the son of the King of Denmark, was made the King of Norway, with
the title of Haakon VII. Although both have kings, Denmark and
Norway may be termed democratic countries.

Copenhagen is lively since the war. The population of Denmark is
only 2,500,000 and the whole country is only 14,829 square miles,
which means an area about the size of Maryland. The country was
once larger but in 1864 Prussia went to war with Denmark and,
finally, after the war with Austria in 1866, added to the Crown
of Prussia the two Danish duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. As
the city and port of Kiel were included in this territ