Evening star., 1934-12-26
SWEDISH CULTURE
|RKS PURE F|NNS
100000 Expatriates Face
OStraCism in Row Over
Language.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
HELSINGFORS-In a strange his
torical twist of Finno-Swede rela-
tions, 100000 Swedes residing in Fin
land face the possibility of becoming
an unwanted minority group.
For approximately 500 years. lead
ing up to 1910, when Russia gained
control, Finland was a part Of the
realm of Sweden. and Swedes, as
money and land owners, dominated
the country.
The Swedish barons built up
definite Swedish culture, which per-
uage in Finland still has constitu
tional justification in ordinary and
legal usage.
pure" Finland Sought.
Finland now seeks to end the domi-
nation of Swedish cultural life, just
as she ended foreign influence in her
national affairs. The cry for pure"
Finland is now being heard, much as
Nazi Germany has cried for pure"
Reich
This demand for zone language,
one people," in Finland has had its
center in desire to curtail the num-
Der of Swedish-speaking professors
in Helsingfors University, and pro-
posal in this direction has been made
to the Finnish Parliament.
No open persecution of the Swedes
has developed, but boycott of Swedish
tradesmen often has been threatened by
student groups. Many professional
men with Swedish-sounding names
are, it is reported, finding it advisable
to change their names in order to
continue to receive certain Finnish
patronage.
Boycott Is Hinted.
Intense national spirit. nourished
through centuries of foreign domina-
ton, is regarded as the cause of the
pure Finland" movement. From
Sweden, Norway. Denmark and Ice
land total of 758 professors, repre-
senting the highest academic life of
Scandinavia, have protested, declar-
ing that Finland needs a language
in which she can converse with the
Scandinavian countries.
Approximately 10000 Swedes in
Finland then signed a petition OF
their own. asking that their constitu-
tional rights be respected. Finnish
students Immediately went over the
list painstakingly. to gather evidence
of possible boycott
The fact that Finland's Swedish
population-an estimated 10 per cent
of all persons living in Finland-pay
a high percentage Of taxes, through
their important position in industry
and business, only adds to the COM
plications. Too, SWedes continue to
rank high in public life.
Swedes Point to Record.
The real development of Finnish, as
national and cultural language goes
back only to the beginning of the
nineteenth century. For many long
years, under Swedish rule, only the
Bible. Psalm book and almanac were
published in Finnish. Firms now in
sist their language is as good for cul-
tural purposes as any.
Meanwhile the Swedes in, Finland
indignantly point out that they helped
drive out the Reds in 1918. The
Firms, on the other hand, are not in
clined to forget that Sweden, as a ma
ton, declined to aid Finland in the
fight against the bolshevists.
The high point of the present Ian
guage quarrel. which is being regarded
with real anxiety in some quarters
was reached during a recent street
demonstration when fear Of open vio-
lence led the fire department in Hels-
ingfors to bring out it's hose lines. AT
that time the cry Of Down with the
Swedes! They're worse than the Rus
| slams" was heard.