March 22, 1911 —  The Storting, Olso, Norway

I would like to make brief remarks about my position on the military budget. I am a peacemaker and a firm believer in arbitration, and I hope that war and military action will one day become extinct, just as the survival of the fittest has had to yield to law and justice.

But I cannot vote against an ordinary army budget based on self-defense. 

As long as peace efforts remain stagnant, we cannot give up our defense. I have confidence in the government and the military committee, and I am confident that the proposals presented are indeed necessary for the development of a strong defense.

Nevertheless, I would like to emphasize that, in particular, I support the proposal to protect the northern regions, the Tromsø diocese. At the perimeters of our country, the military requires support.

I would like to point out that I disagree with those who believe that because Norway is such a small country, we should not be at the forefront of peace work and arbitration. My hope is that our country will come together for this great cause and listen to those in the vanguard.

For all these reasons, I will be voting for the military budget as presented.

Source: Virksomme ord. Politiske taler 1814–2005, eds. Jens E. Kjeldsen og Anders Johansen, (Oslo: Universitetsforlaget, 2005).

Also: Stortingstidende 1911, s. 764.

Also: Virksomme Ord: Norske Politiske Taler, http://virksommeord.no.