, 1912-03-23
NJ VISIT TO THE KING AND QUEEN
OF DENMARK.
By DR.. BOOKER 7. WAsH1xaroN.
Principal of the Tuskegee Institute.
Written for me Mem y-orl, Lac

ON~ N"SAA NNI hlH bb I'll IL khlb ~ OtIs
TENDER, 1910, and found myself next morn
ing in Copenhagen, the capital OF Denmark.
l had been travelling for several weeks
among people who were strange to me in
manners, customs and language. No sooner
had l come within hailing distance of Den
mark, however, than l began to feel that [
was among friends again-old acQu0intances,
IN fact-with whom I could not only talk
but even venture now and then to crack y
joke, with some confidence that | should be
understood. My experience is that the final
test of the understanding between people of
different countries and different languages
is their ability TO laugh at the same joke. |
do not believe there is much hope of univer-
sal peace unit! every body learns to laugh at
the sam time at the same things.
L began to be acquainted with Denmark
before l left Germany. just rs l was taking
the sleeping car in Berlin for Copenhagen, a
newspaper reporter, who introduced himself
rs a correspondent of one of the Copenhagen
papers, called upon me and said he wanted
to have an interview with me for publication
in his paper in the morning. This looked en-
terprising and was 50 much like the expert
ences [ had had in the United States that I
began at once to feel at home.
When 1 was within fifty or sixty miles Of
OOPSAubS0H TIC uSAL mOfUluR uDOi1CE T6-
porter was admitted to my compartment. He
told me that he had been sent forward by
his paper to interview me Oh certain sub
%jects." This second correspondent spoke
in broken English and | could not for some
time make out what he was driving at. We
had not gone far, however, before | gathered
from what he said that, among the other
parties or factions which divided Copenha-
gen,and perhaps all Denmark, there we're what
he decrIbed as q "religious and an anti-reli-
glous' faction, each of which was repre-
sented by different newspapers. This man
represented u religious faction, and he haIi,
apparently, been sent ahead to pick some
thing ont of me that would serve the pur-
pose Of bis paper, and partly by putting me
in the position of opposing the liberal or as
he described it, the "Nnti-religioHs' party
and favouring the religious, or conservative
party.
1 did not have the slightest disposition to
get myself embrolled in Il quarrel, whether
religious or otherwise, the exact nature of
which / did not understand, but 1t was u
real comfort to me to find myself again
among people who were sufficiently ac-
quainted with, and interested in me, as to
want to have me on one side or the other
Of their cont OVERSEES. This also helped to
to make me ut home in Denmark.
Although | did not feel it necessary to
hide the fact that was "A processing Chris
tian, | tried, as best | could, to avoid COM
hitting myself to one faction or the other.
I do not know how far l succeeded, however,
for although | was able, when l reached Co.
p%enhagen, to recognize my picture under
haring headlines III the papers, l was not
able to read what the different reporters
who interviewed me had written.
l have had, III the course of my expert
ences, a good many surprises, but, next to
receiving an invitation from the President
of Harvard University to be at that seat Of
learning for the purpose of receiving an hon
orary degree, l think that the following let
ter which was placed in my hands just as
l entered my hotel in Copenhagen, gave
me my greatest surprise
American Legation, Copenhagen,
Oct. 2, 1910.
My Dear Sir:
His Majesty, the King of Denmark, has,
through his Master of Ceremonies, COM
manded you to be at the Amalienborg Pa
lace at ten o'clock on Monday tomorrOw).
You viii be received on your giving your
name to the Marshal Of the Court.
| am delighted to inform yol that the
King and Queen are greatly interested in
"a