The breaking off of the Consular negotiations undoubtedly put Norwegian politicians into a very difficult situation. Thanks to the close connection between the Union policy and the internal party disputes in Norway, a popular interest has arisen for Union Politics which in comparison with the realities disputed over, may be regarded as extremely abnormal[47:1]. With the lack of consideration which in critical moments distinguishes a similarly excited state on the people's part, it was to be expected that the issue of the negotiations on the Consular question would rouse their passions It can hardly be said that Norwegian politics stood the trial in the situation. To a Norwegian, that which followed may appear as a powerful and magnificent achievement. Outsiders can content themselves by stating that _the high-flown Radical politics of the last 20 years now bear their fruit_. In these days much is said of "necessity" in the development of events. "Necessity", it is said, "has been stronger than the wishes of individuals". To those who in any degree believe in personal influence and personal responsibility, and not only the _needs_ in the progress of history, it may be of interest to observe how those who now advance to the front in Norway--MICHELSEN, LOeVLAND, BERNER, ARCTANDER--belong to the old ranks of radicals from the beginning of 1890. Scarcely any leading men have more strongly emphasized the importance of _creating_ public opinion than the Norwegian radical leaders, and few, with regard to this, have better conformed their conduct to their views. The road to do so these men pointed out was now followed at an unchecked pace. The Norwegian radical policy had reached a climax. The following events in Norway point decidedly to an energetic and designing leadership organised from the beginning. It may be left unsaid how far back the plans that where brought to light after the foundering of the Consular question, were in existence. That they had already been discussed long before that period can hardly be doubted. Neither can it be doubted that just in reference to these plans, strong efforts had been set at work on the Norwegian side to get the Consular negotiations broken off[47:2]. And it is an indisputable fact that those men of action in Norway had scarcely dared to take the step, if the ever threatening danger in the east had not been allayed for a time; the real importance of the Union to which they had for some years been alive, could be laid to rest.