The Icelandic connection - 01.06.2014, Side 41

Vol. 66 #4
ICELANDIC CONNECTION
183
himself as a citizen of the world who could
be objective in his view of events. Stephan
continued to subscribe to American journals
and periodicals such The Index, which was
published by a “Free Thinking” society in
Boston. He also subscribed to Canadian
papers such as The Family Herald and
Heimskringla, as well as Icelandic journals
such as Bjarki and Sunnanfari. Letters and
reading materials were exchanged regularly
between Alberta and North Dakota.
At the turn of the century, Stephan was
overcome by a sense of doom. He feared
that the “Age of Reason’was being replaced
by the “Age of Violence”. He was shocked
when a number of Canadians, some of
Icelandic descent included, set off to fight
in the Boer War. He empathized with the
Boers whom he saw as immigrant farmers
like himself.
Through his wide reading, Stephan was
aware of growing nationalism and unrest
in Europe in the years leading up to 1914.
He was concerned by British imperialism,
German ambitions and the growing
competition for world power. He saw that
two armed camps were forming.
When war broke out, the bugles called
forth the usual excitement and patriotism.
War propaganda resounded across the
country. To a citizen of the world, the
Great War was madness. War was a crime.
Stephan declared that no one should
volunteer to take part in such a fiasco.
Soldiers were not heroes but were victims
of a great tragedy. Stephan stood firm in
these ideas and was prepared to go to jail
if need be.
At that time, many Icelandic immigrants
had become successful businessmen or
professionals in Canada. They were grateful
citizens who felt they owed much to their
new country and, hence, to the British
Empire. They were anxious to show their
loyalty when they were called upon to
do so. Because of his declared anti-war
standpoint, some thought Stephan should
be reported to the authorities and cited for
sedition. Some called him a coward. Many
called him unpatriotic. He felt that it took
real courage to say “no” to war.
No one knew the scope of the war
when it began in 1914. Soon news came
back from the battlegrounds - news of
heavily armed forces on both sides, news
of trenches, news of explosives and poison
gas, news of casualties. This kind of war the
world had not seen before.
In 1917, Stephan received an invitation
to visit Iceland as a guest of the Icelandic
government. Iceland was away from the
war, both geographically and politically.
There Stephans ideas were tolerated and
even appreciated. He received a royal
welcome in his home district and his poetry
was praised everywhere. He was admired
for his forthrightness and his endurance.
When he returned to Canada, however, he
found that conscription had been enacted.
He did not change his stance.
When the war was finally over, Canada
had suffered heavy losses. The province of
Alberta, created in 1905, had sent 45,000
men to battle and 6,100 had been killed.
Vigslodi (Battlefield), Stephan’s book of
war poems, had been published in Iceland
and now it appeared in Canada and the
United States. Once again sentiment rose
against Stephan. Vlgslodi was presented to
government officials but they paid little