Morris tribune., 1913-10-24
OF INTEREST TO
SCkNDINAvIANS
Recent Happenings in This
Country and Abroad.
HAS ATTENDANCE OF 5000

HAS ATTENDANCE OF 5000
University of Helsingfors the Center
of the Culture and Mental Life of
Finiand-.st. oIaf's College at North
field, Mimi, Completes Task of
Raising Endowment Fund of $3.50, 900.
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| !. SWEDEN. !.
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! The University of Helsingfors is the
center of the culture and mental life
OF Finland. There are over fifty pro-
fessors, and the attendance last year
was 5000, one-fourth of the number
| being women. The instruction is
given partly in Swedish, partly in
Finnish, and many professors use the
two languages alternately. The stu
dents are generally bright and exceed
ingly studious. One-half of them are
without means and cannot expect to
! get any aid from home; this condi-
ton compels them to work hard the
year round. Many of, them spend the
vacation making lecture tours. through
the country. A society composed OF
well to do, students has established
three large cOmmOn schools at their
own. expense in the eastern part, of
the country, where the Finnish nation
atty is threatened with classification.
In, no other country in Europe are
school buildings met with more fire.
queptly than in Finland, and general
| education is of very high standard.
There are many high schools of yari.
Gus designations, even both men and
women receive Instructions in garden
| culture and other useful occupations,
Even the, average farmer Of Finland is
eager to learn, The publication Of a
large Finnish. encyclopedia has Just
been started. 1t appears in series,
and copies of this may now be found
even in the home of the poorest tenant
farmer. The cost Of this production
will be about $40.
Lieutenant Charles Swenson,
! Swedish-American of Bremarton.
| Wash, who has been an officer in the
| United States navy for number of
years, has been selected to act as
head pilot at the official opening of
the Panama canal and will have the
honor of plotting the battleship Ore
! gon through the canal. that battleship
having been selected to make the
! first passage through the now world
| famous ditch. Lieutenant Swenson
entered the United States naval acad
envy when but fifteen years old and
has been steadily rising in the ranks
ever since. He is a son of Captain C..
A. SWenson of the canal steamer Mo,
| taIa StrOm in Sweden
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In the event of King Gustafs death
1t will be impossible for the crown
| prince to pay visit to the Panama
exposition at San Francisco in l915.
1t has been known for long time that
a Swedish prince was to visit the
United States and when the announce
ment was made some time ago that
the crown prince would visit the ex.
| position at San Francisco there ap,
peared much favorable comment in
the Swedish press on both sides Of
the Atlantic. The kings present ILL
| ness and his expected death will nat
urally preclude all projected plans in
! this direction.
The Lutheran states that according
to population Sweden is doing more
! missionary work in non-C Christian
countries than any other nation. The
country has sent out and is now sup
porting no less than $50 persons, who
are laboring principally. in India.
Kongo. These persons are distribut.
ed among LOG principal stations, with
400 smaller stations and $50 preach
ing places. They serve rs congrega.
tons, composed of 1900 baptized ma,
tives, and in all about $4,000 regular.
~ visit the preaching services.
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Recent cable dispatches state that
King Gustaf's condition is growing
steadily worse and that his illness has
taken such a turn that he has invested
the crown prince with full power in
definitely There are persistent ru.
mors that his malady is cancer and
that it is in so advanced a stage that
he has small hope of recovery, while
the end may soon come.
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The death rate of Sweden in 1912
was only 1922 per thousand, but the
birth rate also was low, being 1855
per thousand. This is said to be the
lowest birth rate in the history Of the
I | country In tbron ,OrOx,i,, 80 u