The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-12-27
10 YEARS. TURMOIL
SEEN FOB EUROPE
BY CARL SANDBURG.

Christiania, Norway, Dec. 26.-I
have just talked with a liberal poltti-
ker. He is a lawyer, but earns his
main income writing leading editor
ials for a Christianis. newspaper he
had Just finished an editorial entitfd
"The Columbus Egg" His mind was
troubled about national self-determ1-
nation. He said it will be ten years
before Europe gets Strengthened out,
so that the children studying geos-
raphy can be sure this months map
will be correct next month. he SAID
that President Wilson'S projection OF
this issue of national self-determina-
ton into European politics was the
boldest, cleanest political play that
has ever been made on the European
chessboard.
He voices the views Of many think
ers of north Europe.
TT is fitting America should raise
this ISSUE he went on. Your melt
ing pot and your race problems run
down to the same thing as the Eu-
ropean problems of national self-de-
termination. At the bottom Of it all.
in your continent and ours. is the old
semental strife of language, tradi-
tions, blood 1 don't know how
would try to make league of nations
work You are the one nation to in
augurate the experiment. Destiny
says the experiment must be tried.
either next year or the next fifty
years.
Next table to us sat a man with two
women Between courses, one of the
women smoked cigarettes. After the
dessert corn meal pudding with APP
pie juice poured over it), she lighted
more cigarettes. Slender, pale, with
dark eyes and restless melancholy, she
kept on lighting cigarettes l said:
These times, I wouldn't like to
have her cigarette bill to pay.
THE man was chamberlain to the
car the last ten years the car was
a czar. He ate breakfast and supper
with the car and is supposed to be
merry JOKER" said my friend.
Now he writes for newspapers. I
will introduce you to him.
The count-for so he was-took my
right rnitt and squeezed it as though
he wanted me to voc for him in Mo-
vember for alderman. All yes-and
yes-yes-he knew so-and-so in Chi
cage. who owns big iron works, and
he knew so-an sons secretary, am.
these most excellent Americans, and
several other most charming and ex-
cellent Americans frequently had tea
with him, and found them most com
panionable, and he trusts he shall
meet them again.
Are you going back to RUSSIA"
Not now. I shall wait / go when
it is better for me there"
He estimates 1000 persons from
Russia are now in Norway. and 5000
in Stockholm, and other thousands
are scattered over Sweden, and a still
larger number in Finland, waiting, like
the count himself. waiting to go back
to Russia 'w hen it is better back in
Russia"
who are they? What was their
work in Russian"
They are young fellows, most OF
them army officers, 1ieutenants. They
left Russia because they didn't want
to be killed" And the count added,
with a high laugh: II came away
myself because I did not want to be
hanged up"
How do they live?''
Some have money. Many work.
They go into factories and put fish
in cans. Their women go into tobak
fabriks and make cigarettes"
We had entered an annex, and
drank coffee. And all the time the
restless-eyed. melancholy woman kept
on lighting cigarettes.