Scandinavian American. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1945-1958, 1948-05-01

Late last month the foreign min
listers met in Oslo to discuss a
customs union and other measures
for economic cooperation under
the Marshall Plan for European
economic recovery, which has no
firmer adherents than the north
ern countries. Few, if any, Scan
dinavians desire political unity
among the three countries, but
believe every good Scandinavian
as well as all non-Scandinavian
who strive for international peace,
must welcome the era of good
feeling which now prevails in
Scandinavia. It is this cooperation
plus geographical proximity but,
more particularly, the similar
methods employed in dealing with
various social and economic ques-
lions which make it permissible to
group the Scandinavian countries
together in such a discussion as
this, so long as it is remembered
that there are three separate enti-
ties involved. They are like three
remote but friendly cousins who
live in the same street and who
have come to about the same phil
osophy of life.
In political and economic and
social development, the century
and quarter of peace brought as
founding consequences to them;
for, during it, all three countries
changed from virtual autocracies
to democracies; from being among
the poorest countries in Europe
to being among those with the
highest living standards; from
semi-feudal conditions under which
practical serfdom could and did
exist, to having model systems of
social security. The Scandinavian
spirit, freed from the fear of war,
scared into the realms of human
progress and freedom.
The written constitutions adopt
ed by the three countries in the
10th century, which with amend
ments are in force today, are no
whit less liberal than our own.
They contain as strict guarantees
of the rights of the individual
guarantees of free speech, of free
dom of conscience, of a free press
and equally effective provisions
for free elective, representative
government. These are the cor
nerstones and touchstones-of
true democracy. And no misuse or
abuse of that much misused and
much abused world will change
that fact.
On the basis of these free po-
litical institutions, the Scandina-
Wan countries have erected a So
cial and economic structure which
by it's critics and it has crit
les, even in Scandinavia-has been
termed socialistic.
Strong Individualists
And here we arrive at some
thing of a paradox. On the one
hand. Scandinavians are obviously
intense individualists. They take
the constitutional guarantees pro-
tecting the individual against the
state quite as seriously as do AM
orleans or Britons. They do not
relish being told what to do. They
dislike RECOMMENDATION. They resent
restrictions. Conformity does not
come easily to them. Yet I'M
doubtedly they have gone far to-
ward putting into effect certain
practices and procedures which
may be regarded as socialistic.
The character of these still lies
more in the field of control of
prices and wages, labor courts for
the final determination of indus
trial disputes, state-owned and op-
Grated housing projects, socialized
medicine and other social security
measures, rather than in absolute
ownership or control of basic
means of production aside from
state ownership of various public
utilities. Nevertheless, they have
gone about as far toward social
ism as any countries which have
retained their political freedom.
Quite conceivably they will go
farther
Cooperating Hold Prices Down
l believe the explanation of the