Evening star., 1941-02-26
Vital Lesson for U. S. in Viking Twilight
Scondinuviuns Played 1t Sofe-nto the Hands of Nozs
WeIBeng and SeIf-sotisfoetion Brought On Their Ruin
III. SCANDINAVIAN TWILIGHT

light" he must have wanted to
assure me of an exceptionally warm
welcome in some parts of the Middle
West. This is not happy topic. I
would much rather avoid it, for I
know it is impossible for me to dis
cuss tout of my own experiences
and rvations-without being
misunderstood and without getting
into hot water.
I spent nearly six months of last
winter and spring in the three
northern countries: About two
thirds of that period in Finland and
the remainder In Sweden and Nor
way. 1t seems to me a great error
to lump the Firms and the Sandi-
navians together as if they were
cousins. The Firms have about as
much similarity to their Nordic
neighbors as the Turks have to the
Italians, In language. in character
and in code of living the Firms are
utterly different. Geography and
Arctic winter seem almost the only
important things which link them
in some degree, to the SWedes and
Norwegians.
When I think of Sweden I think
Of a people who we're determined
to remain neutral at whatever cost
and are still neutral-at cost which
they have now barely begun to feel
and realize. When I think of Nor
way, 1 think of people who put
their trust in pacifism rather than
preparedness, a people who had
never been taught that if you want
freedom you must be ready, first
and foremost, to defend it yourself
When think of Finland, think of
the gallant 100000. I think of a
little people who have fought giants
all down the centuries and are alive
today because they have always
known how to die. The Firms, too,
have always known there is only one
road to freedom.
Not Hand Was Lifted.
These thoughts of mine are merely
outgrowths of the record of events
in these three Northern countries
since the European war began The
inevitable crystallization of what I
have seen, heard and experienced
there. They are not things of my
own making, but rather things
which have been done to me. That
is why some of them are painful and
sharp with disillusionment. Like
most Americans, I had always re-
garded Norway and Sweden as the
well-nigh perfect democracies.
had always admired their progress
sive social legislation, their cleanli-
ness and industry. their enlightened
relations between capital and labor
all these so much more advanced
than in most other countries.
In Oslo, last April, I saw Norways
capital occupied by 14OO Nazi in
fantrymen without a hand being
lifted or boo being uttered among
more than 10000 Osloans, nearly
half of them men of military age,
who lined the streets, looking on
Everything we saw during the next
four days was painful in the extreme
The people were dazed and bewil-
dered They seemed to forget that
part Of their army, still true to ira
ditions of long ago, was fighting des-
perately and bravely only so miles
to the northward.
Certainly there were many cour-
ageous Norwegians, but there were
many others who had never dreamed
of the necessity of fighting for any,
thing. Like the Swedes, they had
had more than 100 years of uninter-
rupted peace. Their socialist gov
ernments had always belittled the
idea Of strong national defense
forces. They had placed social Sc
curlty far above national security
More than that. they believed in the
immunity of geography. When Nor
wegians talked about the North Sea
they sounded like many Americans
do today when they talk about the
Atlantic Ocean being 5000 miles wide
which it was until few decades
ago. Now it is less than "a hours
wide The Norwegians understand
all about that now. after their own
disaster and when it is too late.
Knew Too Little Hardship.
1t is not difficult to comprehend
the unhappy fate of Norway and
the self-interested policies followed
by Sweden if you take note of cer-
tain condolences. Both these coun-
tries had had too much peace and
too little hardship (perhaps too little
danger is a more accurate express
sion) throughout several successive
generations. Pacifism was their
passion and so, too. was material
well-being. The United States of
America of 1926-1929 was very much
ties Americans and Scandinavians
seem to have had a great deal in
common Wouldn't it be ironical, a
few years from now, if some editor
should be asking for an article en-
titled THE American Twilight?
AS an observer, watching the grim
Steamroller of war roll toward and
over the Scandinavians, it seemed
to me that these people were spirit
ually unprepared for the dangerous
life which an era of revolution i'm
poses, whether you like it or not
The dangerous life lay In their dis.
tant past. They had made a fetish
of material progress, or a high
standard of living, la Calvin Cool
idge and most Americans Of hi;
epoch. Even more than in the mat
ter of weapons, they were psyche
logically unprepared for self-de-
fense. This was why the Norwegian;
could not react swiftly, nor close ur
their ranks in time. Their peasants
and sailors wanted to fight. Many
of their white-collar class, at least
in Oslo, did not seem to know how.
Many Fought Calamity.
Today there can be no question