Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-20
THEY. NC. AIN SWEDEN
PRINCE BERNADorTE IT'S FIRST
PRESIDENT IN STOCKHOLM.

DIR. Karl Fries of Sweden. the Leading Y.
NJ. c. A. secretary of northern Europe, and
chairman of the worlds student federation
I which touches forty nations and has 1000
| members. returned to Europe last week
after month in America. He came here
to attend the great student volunteer con-
ference a. Nashville. incidentally to visit
the Scandinavian colleges in America and
to organize associations.
Prince Bernadotte. son of the King of
Sweden. co-operated with DIR. Fries in or
ganizing the Stockholm association, was its
first president. and Is president of the
Swedish national council, of which Mr..
Fries is secretary He is in no sense a fig
urehead. Ii Is said. In his life and char
acter and his services he Is princely. In
fact. he has recently resigned admiral
of the navy that he might have more time
for Christian work With his wife, for
whom he gave up title to any succession to
the throne, he visits incogHito the prisons,
doing a mlssionary's work. while as a
preacher and evangelist he is in constant
service. He entertains. at his summer home.
1.-The House of Peace" on the Isle of Wis
by. the secretaries of the Y. NJ. c. AS OF
Sweden for week, leading them in Bible
studies and giving talks missions, on
which he is enthusiastic.
Although young man, DIR. Fries speaks
Ell glish fiuently, and Is equally at ease in
dozen European languages. He intro
duced the student conference idea in north
ern Europe which is bringing students of
all lands together. He is associated with
the forward European religious movement,
and developed at Stockholm what Is the
largest and most influential association IN
northern Europe with over 1,G00 members.
There are now 10 associations. i'll Sweden.
When the Stockholm association was be-
gun in 1894 there were no church societies,
such as the young peGpeS movement, but
now Swedish churches have these with q
total membership of 1000.
Conditions in America.
Dr. Fries told a representative Of tbs
press that the thing that struck him most
forcibIy here was the remarkable increase
in Y. NJ. c. A. buildings and equipment
since his visit to America in 1883 as 4 stu
dent And he added: Il find the associa-
lions in America have come to be Increas-
ing factors for social influence in the COM
munity They have scope and an, nflu-
ence and freedom III service in yt;lf new
and growing country such We can never
have in Europe. Th1 most profound I'M
preston was made Upon M by ire eve
land association. which has eNten'i:.i its
work to eighty shops and factories. Your
associations iii America are row seeking
OpporturiteS of service rather t1an mem
bers for themselves
You have here in America tar different
conditions to work amoGg ttian we do IN
Sweden. You have no opposition In Swe-
den there are large numbers II social Gem
ocrats and socialists who are ve"s ~ on
anarchiSm. These are mainly anti Chris
tian and anti-moral. Stockholm WAS the
first assCciat On in Europe to follow Amer
lea in introduc ng a tiTst-class gymnasium
Our associations are like your own, Ai@!t to
the opportunities with the cold ctS. In
Sweden ali men under twenty-o1- IHnSt be
eight months in active service IN The army
and connected with companies tnr Two to
three years
"a feature in the assCcflti0n 1T stock
holm is a first aid hospital corps similar to
the Red Cross which WIS rg90i6ed at the
suggestion OF Prince Be-nadotte and equip
ped at the expense of Queen Sophia. In this
are enrolled fifty men for four years. They
have regular uniforms and are instructed
in the care of the wounded. they are at
the call of the government in case IF war,
and work with the police, being called out
when great crowds are assembled in the
city, as at the wedding or the crown
prince"