Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1910-03-04
VIEWS OF LADY PETERSENS
Swedish NobleWoman Says Americans
Are Hard to Understand and That
Many Do Not Know
Themselves.
SWEDEN.

dish nOblewoman who is at present on
lecture tour in some of the principal
cities of the east and west in the
United States, stated in a recent in
tervieW that she is very well pleased
with America, but claims that the
Americans do not know themselves as
yet. Says Miss Petersens: Amer
leans are hard for us to understand
and so is their life. 1t is so complex,
you know, and you are developing so
that you do not understand yours elves.
So how can one expect foreigner on
brief visit to pass judgment? l
know that am well pleased not only
with my own people, but the real
Americans. am glad to see the Swe-
dish immigrants do so well in Amer
lea. The second generation, / believe,
are the finest young people I ever have
seen. They will make the best type
of American citizens, for they are in
telligent, progressive and law abiding.
Many of them, however, do not know
themselves. They don't understand
themselves and the reason think, is
that they have not studied their fore
fathers. They must know of their an
cestry, it seems to me, to know them
selves. don't mean that they should
cherish Swedish ideas and Swedish
speech so as to neglect in any manner
their American patriotism, but they
can keep in touch with their own peo-
pie and at the same time be excellent
Americans. College men and others
with whom l have talked have made
similar observations, and think that,
some of the second generation are not
accomplishing all they can because
they do not know themselves"
One of the most important travel
books of the season is the story of
DR.. Sven Hedin's discoveries and ad-
ventures in Tibet, which he has
brought out in two volumes under the
general title "Trans-Himalaya Be
sides being a closely woven, carefully
prepared account of the achievements
of scientific explorer, geographer
and ethnologist, this work is an enter
tainiDgly told story Of startling exper-
fences, exciting. adventures, and really
remarkable achievements in the field
of exploration. The expedition of this
Swedish explorer started in August,
1906, entering the Forbidden Land
from the northwest. He thoroughly ex-
plored the country, penetrating with
the aid of his thirty-seven Asiatic fol-
lowers into section in which not only
had no western man ever trod, but in
which the existence, even, of Europe
was unknown. DR.. Hedin's descrip-
tion of his meeting with the Tashi
Lama shows that head of the Buddhist
church to be mot divinity in human
form, but a man who in kindness of
heart, innocence, and purity ap-
prOaches as near as possible to per-
lection" These two volumes are al
most literally crowded with illustra-
ton, largely from photographs, but in
many cases reproduced from draw
ings and water color sketches by the
author. There ere 388 illustrations
and ten maps of the entire work.
A recent number of Stockholm pa,
per, published the population of IS
towns and cities in Sweden. Of these
6S have had an increase during the
year Of 1909 from townships of 1887
and 10 have had a decrease during the
same time from 4 townships of 1874.
Stockholm stands at the head with a
population of 100000. and seems to
about have held it's own. The Sec
ond in size is Gothenburg with pop
ulation of 163,999, an increase of
1887. The emigration from Stock
holm during the year of 1909 was 49,
S02 against 7,179 the previous year.
DR.. Sven Hedin, whose new book we
have referred to in a previous item,
delivered a lecture on his trip into
the heart of Asia before distinguish
ed audience in Rome Jan. 80, consist
ing among others of King Emmanuel,
the ecclesiastic minister and a large
number of distinguished scientists and
literary men of Italy. The lecturer
was greeted with enthusiastic ap-
plause and after the lecture was over
DR.. Hedin was presented by the gold
medal of the Italian Geographical so
ciety which was awarded by the king
in person.
An ordination service was recently
held in the Cathedral church in Stock
holm at which two young men were
ordained for the ministry. The num-
Der is small and the remarkable thing
about it is that both of the young men
whn were ordained were fhn sons Of
farmers In Sweden as in our own
country, it seems that the rural dis
tricts more and more furnish the |
preachers.
DR.. Won Wirsen, president of the
Noble Prize Award committee at |
Stockholm, promised deputation Of |
Swedish c1ergymen to favorably con-
slider the name and person of Profes-
sor Warneck, of Halle, for an award |