The Washington herald., 1916-04-28
A Hero Of Peace.
By JOHN d. HARRY.

A Hero OF Feace.
~ JOHN ID. HARRY.
When the Ford peace expedition held its FIRST
meetings In Stockholm last December X p.
Arnoldson, one of the oldest peace-pioneers in
Sweden, rose from his place on the platform and
made speech expressing his sympathy with the
American travellers 1t happened that on that
occasion, as on many another occasion, the pro-
gram was too long. Already the audience was
nearly worn out The kindly old gentleman, in
his enthusiasm, went on and on. 1t was then
that one Of our members, Scandinavian, lost
his sel-eontrol and made an exceedingly rude &c
mark which caused modification to all the peo-
pie present Everything that could be done in
the way OF atonement was offered. MeanwhilG,
Arnoldson was treated by his friends if he
had been laid lown by illness. They for
mally called upon him to express their sympathy.
They did everything they could to show their
respect and admiration and personal regard.
On another morning, at one of the meetings
of the neutral conference, Mayor Carl Lind
hagen announced that Arnoldson dead. We
suggested that we send a wreath in behalf OF
the conference and that the conference be rep
resented at the funeral among the speakers. L
was finally decided that there should be three
speakers from the conference: Haakon Loker,
the Norwegian advocate-general; Miss Helene
Berg, one of the Danish alternateS serving as
delegate, and myself, representing the Ameri-
can delegation. Loken explained to me what
was likely to happen you will be very much
interested and impressed" he said
looked forward to the occasion with both
interest and apprehension.
1t was a beautiful afternoon as we glidcd
over the snow-covercd roads to the cemetery a
few miles out OF town. On the waJ l con
unualiy reminded OF those hnc winter studies by
Swedish painters exhibited last year r the En-
position. The great cemetery was different from
the kind OF cemetery familiar to us at home,
more modest, in better taste. As ncarcd the
little chapel where the services to be held
just before the cremation we saw groups Of peo-
pie foot, most of them brought out here by
street car. In the chapel we met some Of the
most distinguished OF the Swedes, women and
men actively engaged in the radical work. which,
in spite of the war, was going pcrSstently on
in all parts of the civilized world Presently
the funeral procession arrived, with a Caskct OF
white and gold at the head, almost completely
hidden in flowers young clergyman, with a
long bl7ck robe hanging behind his overcoat,
which he had to wear on account of the extreme
cold stepped forward and conducted the simple
religious ceremony, closing with a brief address
and with the symbolic throwing OF ashes at the
base OF the bier When he had finished Arnold
, sons son-n-law took his place and said few
words of greeting and farewell. He was follow
ed by several men who had long been associated
with Arnoldson in public work. They spoke of
his devotion all through his life 10 causes that
the world had dcspised. In his youth he had
been pioneer advocate Of peace. He had been
punished with ,ridiculc and scorn lie had been
made to face great hardships; but he had lived
to see the world coming round to his views. All
of the speakers addressed him directly, as if he
could hear their praise.
What was most surprising about the cerc-
mony was its being absolutely free from Scnti-
mentality. There was no narrowing Of the feel
ngs. One speaker kept repeating the expires
sion. ono of the few expressions ! had become
familiar with in Swedish thank you" He de-
voted himself to touching the various causes
that Arnoldson had worked for
When my own turn came | realized that the
best | could do, under the circumstances, was to
be brief possible in order to avoid taking
up time in speaking a language that very few OF
those present could understand.
At the end of the speaking the organ played
the beautiful music from Peer Gynt "ASc 5
Death" Then there whispering among
several bIack-coatcd gentlemen. The flowers on
CURED to me that someone had opened the door
OF the chapel and created draught No, the
caskct itself was moving. The ladies in long
black vcils who were the chief mourncrs. evil
sob One looked if she might be about to
faint Very slowly the casket descended through
the floor When it had almost disappeared one
OF those ladies' supported by man, stepped for
it had gone iron door slid forward and grad
ually the open space was covered.
Now Of the ladies was becoming hysterj-
cal She leaned over that door and sobbcd aloud
We walked of the church leaving the
mOurners behind. In the distance bells were
tong. Out the on the low hills stood
thousands OF trees rigid and bare. We had wit
messed the last scene in unSelhSh career, the
1t made all thoughtful. 1t strange to go
back to the everyday world again, with its null