The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1947-12-01
DON'T UNDERESTIMATE THE Firms
Continued From Page six>

AsAA@SAONt L
fluently in English, Swedish
Finnish and German.
The airport at Helsinki is small,
they are planning a much lare.
er one in time for the Olvmn;,
Games in 1852 (the Firms have
looked forward to having the
Games for so long, that tbev
speak of it now with tears in
their eyes)-and the customs Is
sufficient, even though there is
the usual red tape. You 60 frs,
10 the passport control. where
an official stamps your visa. then
to the CURRENCY control, where
you must declare all your foreign
money in cash and travellers
checks, finally through the Gus
toms who examines your lug
gage. AS you turn to 60 out, a
Finnish girl seated at a table
nearby calls to you, and though
you don't know the language you
understand she means stop. On
examination of your passport, she
hands you restaurant ration cou-
pons, ond gives you your choice
Of tobacco or sugar tickets" If
you are fresh out of cigarettes, !"
as / was, you take the tobacco
COUPONS, which entitle you to two
boxes of Finnish cigarettes, or
one pack something like the
american type-at least in ap-
pearance.
When / had finally cleared the
customs, / looked about for a
money exchange counter, in the
hope of obtaining some Finn
marks. Finding none, and a bit
worried about money for a taxi
from the terminal to the hotel
"a bus takes you into the city,,
finally approached a tall Finn
whom had noticed before on
the plane, and asked for advice.
He answered me in reasonably
good English, suggesting that we
step outside"
"Do you have Swedish kro-
nor?" he asked. yes" well.
then, I shall be glad to accom-
modate you AS a matter of
fact" and he looked about to see
if any one was standing nearby,
Il would be glad to give you
more than you can get at a bank.
The official rate is SO marks 10
the kronor. I'd be willing to pay
hundred"
We rode in on the bus together.
"American?" he unused. Eyes,
you have done a great deal for
US over here . But if I may
make a suggestion" Che lean
ed a little closer to my earl :.
"don't talk too much. 1t is said
that the walls have ears. Our
good friends" he growled sar-
castically, ito the East"
At the hotel I was handed an
other form by the elderly por-
tier, who suggested that l go in
to the lounge to fill it out. Once
this was done and the card re-
turned, he stretched out his
hand, and his teeth cleaned
brightly under a huge moustache.
"Welcome," he said warmly, ito
Finland"
This was the introduction al
most everywhere in the city, in
which a surprising number of
people speak English. In hotel
or restaurant, if the waitress
cannot translate the menu for
you or understand your Ameri-
can, there is invariably someone
she can call who will help you
out. Like the headWajter in the
Royal restaurant on the ESplan-
ade.
This chap, as soon as he dis
covered l was American, return
ed to my table to chat at every
opportunity. He had learned
Swedish and Finnish (the two
official languages), German then
compulsory and French Option
all in the schools. In later years
he had taught himself both Eng
lish and Russian. He had fought
in the winter war;" had seen the
Germans come in the second
war, and had debated with them
and Finnish intellectuals on the
outcome of World War IL. i
would like to see some of those
Hell Hitler chaps now he
smiled. "They wouldn't believe