A small potatoes Norwegian imperialism flexing its muscles in the North Atlantic in 1931. Hands off Greenland.

‘The Imperialist Struggle for Greenland’ by P.P. (Stockholm) from International Press Correspondence. Vol. 11 No. 39. July 23, 1931.

The Danish-Norwegian conflict over Greenland has not arisen as a result of chance, although both sides maintain that this barren, sterile land is of very little value. The conflict began by some chauvinistic Norwegian fishermen occupying the Eastern part of Greenland which has for long belonged to Denmark.

Although Norway has “friendly relations” with Denmark, its government sanctioned this act of robbery, which is in sharp contradiction to the international law of the capitalist world, and it came to an exchange of Notes in which the social democratic government of “peaceful” Denmark energetically defended the interests of its exploiting class and protested against the occupation.

According to an agreement existing between the interested imperialist States, such land as is discovered in the polar regions belongs to that State whose possessions to the south lie nearest to the newly discovered country. As Norway does not possess any land north of Svalbard (Spitzbergen), and as the whole of Greenland belongs according to international law to Denmark, this agreement is very unfavourable for Norway. It must attempt to extend its possession further northward. Social democratic Denmark, for its part, wishes to retain firm hold of that country in which hitherto it has not shown any particular interest.

Both Denmark and Norway are severely hit by the international crisis; both of them are seeking a way out and both are turning their attention to the polar regions. Here the Norwegian fishermen have long plyed their trade, although they formerly concentrated mainly on the South of the Artic. In the last few years, however, they have transferred their main activities to the North and as the yield is not sufficient in the neighbourhood of Svalbard, they are turning their attention to the rich fishing grounds of East Greenland.

It is mainly finance capital and also the big fish canning and oil industry, in whose service the Norwegian fisherfolk carry on hard and dangerous work for miserable pay, which are behind this occupation. Although the whole of the vast country of Greenland belongs formally to Denmark, the Danish authorities have never taken any action against the small Norwegian fishermen who for many years managed to earn a living by fishing in these waters. Now, however, when the Norwegian fishing industry has been modernised and rationalised by big capital, it encounters a powerful Danish rival, which under social democratic leadership and on the direct initiative of the social democratic Prime Minister Stauning is beginning to carry out systematically the hitherto neglected capitalist exploitation of East Greenland. Numerous “scientific” and economic expeditions have been sent out for this purpose. A specially equipped fleet, the most modern ship of which its big capitalist owners have given the name of “Th. Sta. Stauning” is to commence exploiting the fishing grounds of East Greenland. Here is one of the direct causes of the suddenly sharpened dispute. The fight for the possession of this desolate country is an open fight for the wealth of the Polar seas in which fight the social democrats are just as energetic as the open reactionaries and semi-fascists in defending the “rights” of the exploiting class of their particular country.

International Press Correspondence, widely known as”Inprecorr” was published by the Executive Committee of the Communist International (ECCI) regularly in German and English, occasionally in many other languages, beginning in 1921 and lasting in English until 1938. Inprecorr’s role was to supply translated articles to the English-speaking press of the International from the Comintern’s different sections, as well as news and statements from the ECCI. Many ‘Daily Worker’ and ‘Communist’ articles originated in Inprecorr, and it also published articles by American comrades for use in other countries. It was published at least weekly, and often thrice weekly.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/international/comintern/inprecor/1931/v11n39-jul-23-1931-inprecor.pdf