Omaha daily bee., 1909-10-10

much Of the French for 125 years, too little
of her native sturdy Swedish. Remarkable,
though, how exceptionally fine her develop
ment has been, IL we except the American,
British and Scandinavian liquor evil and
the too prevalent habit of cursing. There
are 1000, 600 Swedes and Swedish-Americans
in the United States. If the legal frateT-
nifty should depend on these for their ex-
perience at the bar and for income the
lawyers profession would be no attraction.
The criminal history of our land has a COM
paratively brief story to tell so far of the
misdeeds of Swedes and their descendants.
There must, therefore, have been some
splendid training over in the good land of
Sweden to make such results possible. The
Lutheran church of the country whatever
her numerous faults, has deeply Influenced
the inner life of the people. 1t has often
stood for high ideals, all things consld-
cred. Sweden's rulers have generally been
men of manly motives, not always great
men, but kindly and fatherly toward the
people. Moreover, the Sw9des are not a
passionate nation of extreme tendencies,
but harmony loving. They might, I'm a way,
be called the Greeks Of the north, SO calm
and contemplative are they and warm of
sentiment without the white heat of peoples
with a more pronounced will. Where but
in Sweden could a general strike be carried
on i'm all lines of industry so peacefully,
with a royal order %forbidding the sale of
intoxicants, and that manifesto almost be-
coming the new platform Of the labor
unions themselves? A week ago the strik-
ers threatened to boycott the Stockholm sa-
loons-climax Of labor union humor!
Next to Stockholm I think that the most
characters tic single number for the tourist
is the famous trip on the Gotha. canal
from ~Gothenburg to Stockholm, or its best
part, from Stockholm to Jonkoping, the
city on Lake Vettern with Naples-like sur
roundlngs. You go clean across the coun-
try from the southwest to the capital on
the Baltic, midway up the east coast. over
the plains, through the large lake Of Ven
ern, again on the Ostgotha plain, then into
the crystal clear, easily stormy Lake Vet
tern. over hill districts and peaceful lake
let's. into the Skaersord of Stockholm-the
entire way teens with interest OF a placid
and often amazingly lovely order. No Eu-
ropean journey eXcels this tour in its own
line. 1t is not the Norwegian grandeur,
but the pleasing, winsome, fair Swedish
type Of scenery you get on this canal.
Sweden's scenery has its counterpart
in Sweden's men and women Of genius.
Not grandly Wild and awesome as the
Norwegian fields and NorYay's Ibsen, but
beautiful in the Greek sense OF fine har-
mony, calm contemplation, a very soul
full and spiritual profundity. Few people
OF the world have been so ~nnately re-
ligious as the Swedes. True, the country
is since some fifteen years in the midst
OF a serious Intellectual. social and relig-
ious crisis. Young Sweden. whatever it's
hot aspirations may be, falls far behind
the Immediately preceding generation, the
men and women over 2j years of age.
The German socialistic ideas have tenn
porarily crazed and bewildered the funda-
mentally moderate and thoughtful Swede.
There are g~rievous reason for social IN
rest inherited from the past, Wages have
Tin lately been low. The poor we're