Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1911-09-27

cause English never gained a footing
there. Emigration has been from
Germany and Scandinavia to the
British Isles, and not the reverse.
This fact should not be overlooked.
When in the light Of history we
glance at the map Of Europe and To-
cate Antwerp, Amsterdam, Bremen,
Hamburg, Kiel, Lubbock, Stettin, Ber-
lin, Danzig, K0nigeberg, Copenhagen,
Gothenburg, Christiania, Bergen,
Stockholm and Helsingfors, an
compare their life with that of the
comparatively few cities of the Med
iterranean region, we are convinced
that the center Of European culture
is now in the northern, and not, as
it once was, around the southern
waters; that civilization is gradually
moving northward as we'll as west
ward, and that this northern move
ment is of the greatest significance
to the people, culture and languages
ofthe north. This means that the
Herman Scandinavian culture leads
on the continent Of Europe, stretch
ling from North Cape to the noun
ltains of Switzerland and from old
Amsterdam to ancient Constantine
ople. 49,, III
| The Grecian- Roman civilization
was confined within an inland sea
with no outlet to the world, except
through the narrow Strait of Gibral-
tar. The German Scandinavian life
was thrown, as it were, out into mid
ocean, and from the start in the dis
covery of America, faced world wide
relations and problems. An aggres-
sive culture with such providential
home base could not stay at home.
The open path in the sea was fol-
lowed to the ends of the earth, direct
from the home lands and by way OF
their colonists in England, America
| and other lands. Everywhere they
left their foot prints. They have
made modern history SO fast that
it has not been written. If it were,
it would be interesting to compare
it with their history of ancient times.
It is, however, the same people,
country spirit and language. Does
this German candinavian develop
ment show signs at present of de-
cline and decay7 We think not.
The indications are rather for the
greatest advances in it's history.
In the development of humanity
from a provincial and national to an
international and worldwide fellow
ship the Observation-Disclosures con-
tinent- ocean civilization played an
Important part. It is the world-ex-
tension of the culture Of Christ's
fisherman and of Paul the sailor.
STRUGGLE FOR CULTURE AND
:, LANGUAGE GREATER THAN
FOR TERRITORY.
Ever since our first acquaintance
E with the Scandinavian people, many
5 years ago, we have observed with
:, some interest how they, and others
' |seem to take pleasures in referring
4 to the three northern kingdoms with
!, |emphasis on the adjectives "little'
D Denmark, "poor" Norway, modest
. lSweden and "Great" Britain, writer
4 of course with large G. There i:
. some truth in these qualifying
:, words, yet upon investigation, we fel
S it was overdone, the emphasis wa'
S too strong. The other extreme ough
e also to be avoided, and the only wa.
: to do this is to compare historical
n and statistical facts. It is indeed
l., Isurprise that Norway with l24, 13'
It square miles, is larger than Grea
g Britain England, Wales, Scotland
land Ireland COMMUNICATIVE l21 ID
Isquare miles; that the 161 900 squar
miles Of Japan have in the East o
the Old World 47,564,00o people
while the 312,394 square miles o
y Scandinavia have l0,647,221 PEG
s pie; that the Peninsula of the North
l. men is nearly three times larger tina
'r the Peninsula Of the Romans; tina
n "little" Denmark with 2,757 ,076 in
" habitants on 1888 square miles
e. territorially larger than the 1887
r square miles of Belgium with 7,45l,
ID 9o3 people, dominating central Al
E. rican Congo State. Palestine an
= Greece were "]ittle" countries, BIT
Il through their religion, education an
/ languages they directed the cours
of human development. Littlenes
poverty and modesty are no excus
for inaction. If Scandinavia were q
densely populated as Belgium
would have 205,242,858 people; if 8
| Germany. 97,154,534, or mol
/ people than in the 48 states Of tt
/ United States. The most populor
parts of the world are often tt