Le Nord : revue internationale des Pays de Nord - 01.06.1938, Blaðsíða 289

SOME ECONOMIC PROBLEMS IN THE NORTH 279
things which are difficult to carry on in smaller countries. The
difference in this respect is about the same as, e. g., in agriculture
between large estates and small holdings. The peasant has to
provide himself with the necessary buildings, machinery and
other requisites, but his costs per hectare of cultivated land will
be much higher than those of a large estate. Peasants can only
be helped by co-operation among themselves, by means of which
expensive machinery and other requisites are obtained jointly at
reasonable cost. If the comparatively small nations of the North
could agree to co-operate in these spheres, they would certainly
incur far less expenses and would certainly also achieve better
results. As an example of the sphere I have in mind in saying
this, I would mention some special educational establishments
that demand great space and much capital, as for instance ve-
terinary science schools. Many scientific research institutes could
also obtain better results, if each of the four countries did not
require to maintain small institutes, but could agree to establish
a large institute to be managed jointly in one of them. In develop-
ing this idea a serum institute, a bio-chemical research institute,
a cancer research institute etc. occur to the mind. In each of the
four countries, with the help of hundreds of engineers thousands
of patents are also tested which inventors submit annually to the
patent authorities. Here again work is duplicated which could
probably be combined in one place. Probably very many such
fields for co-operation could be discovered, if the matter were
gone into thoroughly. Large spheres would then be thrown open
for united efforts among the Northern countries. It only needs
an organising hand to give this matter a good start.
It is perfectly natural that it is everyone’s duty to think first
of himself and his own affairs. This applies above all to states
which are considered to be quite naturally egoistic and to pursue
their own advantages. It would, however, be bad economy, at
any rate among such close neighbours as the Northern countries,
to work to the detriment of each other in any sphere. In many
spheres we can, on the contrary, directly assist each other. The
Northern countries have already been able to attain considerable
results in this respect. To be frank, however, we must admit
that we are only at the beginning of such work. The efforts that
have been made hitherto have in general only been fumbling
endeavours to attain the objects sought after, but if there is good-