Formal Annexation

In the name of His Majesty Haakon VII, King of Norway, Paal O. Berg, Norwegian Minister of Justice, last week formally annexed the archipelago of Spitsbergen (Svalbard to the Norwegians, meaning "cool coast").

The ceremony took place at Long-year Valley, on Advent Bay, Spitsbergen, the principal settlement of the island. Minister Berg read a notification of annexation declaring the archipelago to be Norwegian territory and subject to Norwegian law. Up went the Norwegian flag, sailors from the patrol boat Heimdal presented arms, the guns of the Heimdal boomed salutes, the people sang the national anthem and a prayer for Norway was offered. One Lassen of the Ministry of Justice became Prefect of the Territory.

At Oslo (formerly Christiania), Norwegian capital, Premier Johan Ludwig Mowinckel declared, during a day of national rejoicing, that "the incorporation of Svalbard makes Aug. 14 a red-letter day in our history. What happens today is an extension of Norwegian territory, and all Norwegians must rejoice that such an important territory in the Arctic Ocean becomes a part of Norway."

Spitsbergen* was discovered by the Vikings in 1194 and, in the 17th Century, owing to a lucrative whale fishing, its sovereignty was disputed by Norway, the Netherlands, Britain. The next century saw the end of whaling with a consequent lack of political interest. During the latter part of the last century, however, the question of sovereignty was again raised by Norway, Russia and The Netherlands, this time owing to the discovery of coal; and when in 1905 whaling was revived, the question became still more important. The matter, however, was not settled until 1920 when the Supreme War Council at Paris handed the archipelago to Norway. The treaty making this action effective was ratified by the U. S., Great Britain, France, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Japan.

-Spitsbergen, usually and incorrectly written Spitzbergen, is the main island of an Arctic archipelago off the coast of Greenland. The principal islands of this archipelago are: Spitsbergen, Prince Charles Foreland, Edge Island, Barents Island, King Karl's Island, Hope Island, Bear Island.