Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1912-01-17

Norway 1927 and Sweden l,243),
Canada 629, Germany $40, Austria
Hungary 173 and Finland 1853. The
nations importing most wood-pulp
annually are: the British Isles 1862
pounds, United States 1856; France
GAL, Belgium 258 and Italy 146
pounds. We know the books immi-
grants brought from Germany and
Scandinavia and are imported today
are Of a superior quality to American
books as to paper and workmanship.
The present prospects are that these
two nations, which boast of their SUI
perior literature in the past, will
jealousy guard their reputation in
this respect in the future. When the
white coal, the water power, of Sean
dinavia. and Finland is turned to
practical use in running printing
presses and book binderies, with the
worlds largest and best supply of
wood-pulp, they could manufacture
the literature Of the world in all Ian
guages, for they could easily COM
pete in quantity and quality. The
nation that has the largest supply of
the best material at home has the
advantage. If the Scandinavian Ian
guages die in Europe or America it
will not be because the Netherlands
have not the facilities and materials,
and ability, to produce superior lit
erature, as they did in olden times.
The paper age of the future may CEN
ter around the Scandinavian PENN
sula.
SPEAK YOUR MOTHER TONGUE
WHENEVER POSSIBLE.
Recently it was my pleasure to
talk with city editor, who spent
last winter in Italy and a preacher
who spent last summer in Scandin-
avia. The editor remarked he was
surprised to meet everywhere in Italy
so many Germans and to hear Ger
man spoken everywhere. The preach
er said everywhere he came in Swed-
en- he heard German, on boats, at de-
pots, in the trains and at the hotels.
Quite different than it was a few
years ago. l thought why is this ?
A glance at the map answered the
question. That dense industrial pop
ulation Of central Europe has no vast
plains north or south of them to
which to resort from the heat or cold,
but only long, narrow peninsulas
with fine harbors and good steamship
service on either side and the best
railway accommodations overland.
The nations of central Europe, we
must remember, are descendants of
the people who made the history of
the migration Of nations. Their
Gothic blood is restless. They have
since crossed the seas in great null
titudes and still call that land their
fatherland. Those remaining at
home make short pilgrimages, not to
a shrine, but for study, rest, pleas
ure or health, or perhaps for trade
as second, if not first, considera-
ton. They go north to the Scandin-
avian peninsula in the summer from
Trelleborg to North Cape and south
to the Italian peninsula in the winter
from Milan to Sicily. These PENN
sulas being the homes Of ancient and
interesting civilization, study may be
combined with pleasure. It is nat
ural the number increases every year,
and being confined to the limits of
narrow peninsulas, they may seem
more crowded and more numerous
What is most remarkable is that
nearly all master two or three Ian
guages, but wherever two or more are
together they talk German, though
they have mastered the language oil
the country. These peninsulas seen
to be destined to become the sum