New Britain herald., 1929-02-06
SEES SCANDINAVIA
AS ideal COUNTRY
lhta,cy, Poverty, Drunkenness
Unknown, Prot. Benson says

Jlliteracy. poverty. prohibition.
drunkenness. extreme wealth and
other typical American evils or is
sues or problems. depending upon
the point Of view. are practically
unknown in the Scandinav Wan coun-
tries which are far ahead OF the
United States In a great many ways,
according to statements made to
members of the Kiwanis club today
by Professor Adoiph Benson. asso-
ciate professor of German and Scan
dinavian languages at Yale. The
speaker. who has specialized in the
study of these countries, recently
made visit 20 Scandinavia. He In
cludes in this group Denmark. Nor
way. Sweden. Finland. Greenland
and Iceland.
Contrary to the almost universal
opinion these countries are not a
mass Of ice and frozen lands, but
are warmer than any other section
of the earth in the same latitude.
according to the speaker. He said
he spent whole winter in Sweden
and had only one sleigh ride.
The lack of knowledge of these
countries is due. Professor Benson
said. to the fact that American tour
lists want to visit Paris. Rome. the
Alps and then 60 down to Egypt and
have their pictures taken riding a
camel.
Agriculture Is developed to the
highest intensive point in Denmark.
the speaker explained. Because Of
the effect Of the Gulf stream farm
ers in Denmark start their spring
blowing in the beet sugar fields as
early as December 81.
Illiteracy is practically unknown
in Scandinavia, the percentage Of
people who cannot read or write be-
ing less than two-tenths OF one per
cent. In the most extreme northerly
parts of Norway and Sweden one
finds school houses and book stores.
Sweden maintains special schools for
adult farmers. where they are
taught everything except agriculture.
There are no slums and the towns
are conspicuous for their cleanli-
ness. Flower beds take the place Of
ash heaps and tin can dumps along
railroad tracks.
There Is no poverty nor great
wealth.
prehxing his remark with the
statement that he was a republican
and voted for Hoover. the speaker
criticized campaign propaganda by
saying the republican prosperity
claims did not bring out the faa:
that wages in Scandinavia are twice
as high as anywhere else in Europ"
Streets in. Sweden were illuminai-
ed by electric lights as early as
1855. which was great deal earlier
than in America. he pointed out.
They had electric trains In the Scan
dinaNian countries as far back is
% years ago, while they are far
ahead of America today in aviation.
Farmers in that section of the world
today use electrical appliances In
their farm houses and operate their
farm machinery by electricity.
There are practically the same
number of telephones per capita as
in the United States.
lie added that he had met the
king and crown prince of Sweden
and found them more democratic
| than many other persons.
Professor Benson explained the
reason for the familiar statement
found in many books TRANSLATED
liLto foreign languages, including tn"
Scandinavian" He said this was
due to tn. fact that for a long time
people did not know they read books
! in the Scandinavian countries, but
hen they learned that most of the
books shipped 10 Europe were be-
ing read in the Scandinavian coun-
tries, they added the above state
/ mcnt. lie said when Jack London
died his widow moved to Stockholm
because she said they read more Of
/ his books there than anywhere else
in the world.
/ Denmark leads the world In CO.
operative farming and cooperative
marketing. he added. as we'll as be-
ing the largest butter exporting
country in the world. In one year
Denmark exports 100 pounds Of