Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1911-09-06

! 80 $3.50, -
lea than from Russia. Will Scandin-
avian faith, life and culture live IN
America If destroyed ii Europe7
This hope moved the greatest Swede,
Gustaf Adolf to give his life on the
battlefield Of Lutzen. That hope,
however, will perish when patriotism
is expressed in every way except in
maintaining and perfecting the Ian
guage in which the hope can be real
lied. The loss Of the mother tongue
means being cut off from connection
with the root that grew you and
from the branches that spring from
that root in other lands. Every ma
ton must take it's world bearings, if
lit is to accomplish its world miss
ion. A country develops its people,
the people develops the language, and
that is the only medium through
which their spirit, thought and
achievements are handed down to
Iposterity or planted in other lands.
scandinavian Peninsula and the Bal
tic and North Seas are the heart of
modern civilization. The language
that developed their civilization is
worth learning, or not forgetting.
Scandinavia is surrounded by Eu-
ropes three great Empires-Russia,
Germany and Britain. 1t was this
insular central position that contri-
buted so largely to make the Scan
dinavians the greatest inguists in
( Europe. Germany is it's nearest
neighbor, SO near that it's three capt.
tails have railroad connection with
Berlin, and Berlin is nearer to all
three Scandinavian countries than is
st. Petersburg or London. CONNER
cially and for land and sea travel,
it could not well be. better situated.
Norway's harbors face westward,
Sweden's eastward, Denmark's in all
directions. Scandinavian is a lead
ing language in the worlds harbors
and on the water. It is more a
world language than is generally
admitted. -
The three Scandinavian Kingdoms
are coming into closer commercial
! and cultural relations with these
three empires, and through them
with the world, because all are
growing and they then mingle and
learn one another and their langu-
age. It is folly to think they forget
, their native language by learning an
r other. Scandinavians may be called
the pioneers and center of inter-
5 nationalism. That they have not lost
their identity, personality and langu-
age in their crucial position argues
that they may be able to maintain
them in the future. The loss Of
Schleswig Holstein and the indepen-
dence Of Norway have awakened all
, three northern nations to stronger
r patriotism for country, people and
) language at home and abroad.
> Norway's coast alone extends 100
miles. Its entire shoreline including
fjords and the large islands is about
$4,000 miles, long enough to stretch
half way around the globe. With an
unparalleled seaboard and many fine
3 harbors, practically all Scandinav-
l ians are jewellers by the sea, and for
. this reason are fitted to have larger
world influence than many times the
3 same number Of inland dwellers.
e Many patriotic inland nations have
fought hard for a small outlet to the
Z sea for development and self preser-
vation. Their inland location, how
ever, was against them. The study
of these subjects makes one fear
that Scandinavians in our day un-
derestimate their heritage. Did not
a great general say, an army was
losing, if not on the aggressive. So
a Peninsular culture and language
should be aggressive and be not
merely defensive.
i Look at the map. It shows more
land area between the parallels OF
o latitude within which Scandinavia
q lies than in any other section of the
! globe Of equal latitudinal extent
o The same parallels south of the
p equator embrace less land surface
. than any other equal extent Of lati-
= tude. Scandinavia lies between the
Old World and the New, the Farce
: Islands, Iceland and Greenland con.
o |stituting a bridge uniting it to thu
n latter. 1t is matter Of reflection
that this great arctic expanse, tn,
r. largest field for Christian Missions
v and temporal development receive:
less attention than any other. ~
81 1t is difficult to conceive of /.
d country SO small in area with NOR,
+ sea coast. better bays and harbor'
l. land sublimer mountains than Nor