Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1911-09-13
SCANDINAVIAN AllGuA6ES
lN OUR COUNTRY
DISTRICT SCHOOLS
(By Prot. ]. N. Lenker, D. D..

advantage of Americans learning and !
using the German and Scandinavian
languages? The simple answer is
because of my personal experiences,
after graduating from college, in
learning these languages and because
of what I observed during two tours
through their countries of Europe
and during a life's work among them
in the far west. Persons living on
the low standard of one language
cannot realize what they miss in life,
and they are no authority on the
three language standard. IF space
permitted, more might be said here
from personal experiences and con-
victions. That may be the theme for
IA future separate article, if our for
mer readers do not grow weary, for
they are the people for whom We are
discussing this timely and vital ques-
ton, not of the city, but of the
country. 49,.
Scandinavia may be considered
one Of the oldest, or one of the
youngest, lands Of Europe. In the
light of the latter, with reference to
the former, we are considering it. A
people with an unequalled heroic mast
find it difficult to adjust themselves
to the present and the future. They
are too apt to live and study only in
the past. England was the first to
be awakened by contact with the new
modern life Of the new world, then
Germany, and now is Scandinavia's
turn to adjust herself to. modern
world-conditions with the help Of the
reflex influence from her oversee
American children. ~.
The influence Of nature upon each
of the three Scandinavian nations
may be TRACED through their history
to the present
The history of a people, like the
geography Of their country, as learn
ed in school, should suggest new
thoughts to one through life on the
character and mission Of that peo-
pile in the onward and upward pro-
gress Of our one human family. With
the constant use of the common
school branches Of geography, his
tory and mathematics (statistics) in
studying the present development OF
the race, many new original thoughts
will be suggested. Try it for yourself
with respect to Scandinavia and Ger
many, and see if their culture an6
languages have not bright future
'|SCANDINAVIANS AND THEIR
| LANGUAGES DEVELOPED
! FOR WORLD SERVICE.
Books say it is almost impossible
; to disassociate nature in the classic
lands of Greece and Italy of the
south from the development Of thei1
people. The same is true also of thu
northern classic countries. Italy ant
Greece are located in the water thai
unites Europe and Asia. The Scan.
dinavians have a location more of ;
world character, in the water thai
divides the Old and the New Worlds
Their character was strongly influ.
, enced by the sea, but also by thu
mountains, for Scandinavia is a sec.
ond Switzerland, not inland, but Sc
in mid ocean. The Isles of Greece
, and Switzerland in the south equa
, the Isles Of Denmark and the noun
tains Of Norway and Sweden in tn
north. In no part Of the world have
both water and mountains united il
developing national character ant
national dialects as in the only pen
insula Of the north. Their language
and character are those Of the Sc:
and the mountains, strono. free
unity in variety, and destined to iv'
and be a blessing. Theirs is an AL
tpine Phoenician character in action
, in the past and today.
. The Scandinavians were severed,
disciplined before and since reaching
4 their present home. We can easil,
: imagine the JOY of their forefather
as they first discovered the Balti
waters after a long wandering b.
foot over Eastern plains. Brave am
venturesome they were and the Isle
of Denmark became to the northern
empire moving westward what tn
Isles Of Greece we're to Grecian civil
ization. Danish civilization, an or
iginal sTeutonic product, became ;
pattern to England and other lands
From Copenhagen, the Athens Of tn,
North, the Harbor Of merchants
danish culture spread north, west
south and east, influencing and be
ing influenced to the free hanseati'
cities. They changed the center o
civilization from the Mediterranean
to the North and Baltic Seas, iron
the Catholic Latins to the Protestan
Teutons. No Christian Apostle eve
sailed on these northern waters, we
their people reformed the church
founded by the Apostles in the land
of the Mediterranean. They defend
ed and developed the Reformation
and waited it's teaching across tn
seas.
Tho ,oonn1oc of +ho Nortl,- Fnr1;el,