Evening star., 1962-09-23
Cities
~s.RepIs
... Stockholm and
President Tubmun
By ROBERT ]. LEWIS

" oNO4OC14by VIC
stood next to him as he
noticed that President VII
liam v. S. Tubman of Liberia
had a cigarette but not a
match.
Before any one Of a dozen
people in the official party
could do the honors, the
towering Prince Bertil
flashed his silver lighter,
snapped it several times,
bent over solicitously, and
the distinguished guest of
the Swedish government in
the bright blue suit started
putting away.
HHH
AS A COMPLETE stranger
In Stockholm last week, we
couldn't have been a less
likely candidate to meet a
Prince Of the royal house or
the President Of the first
African republic.
Nor did we actually meet
either one. We were Just
innocently standing there in
the midst Of a couple Of
dozen residents Of the new
est Of many new communi-
ties springing up on the out
skirts Of this far-north city
Of a million people.
Suddenly the distinguished
encourage appeared, walking
}. quickly out Of a branch Of
Sweden's famous NIX de-
partment store. A number
Swedish people whispered
"Toobman," and we gawked
politely like everyone else.
Posters all over Stockholm
had been calling attention
to Mr.. Tubman's official
three-day visit.
Not q word was said by
anyone, no handclapping, no
cheers, for this is not a part
Of Sweden's way. Through
out the five minutes Of on
the-run inspection before the
official party finally stepped
into two shiny black limou-
sines and sped away, the
Farsta Shopping Mall was as
husned IS g tomb.
Not even President Tub
man said q word that anyone
could hear. We listened later
to q playback Of the entire
Tubman tour of the Farsta
community taped by a crew
member Of the Swedish tele-
vision agency. He kept run
ming after the party imam
aging to be a gentleman all
the while), holding the
microphone as close as pos
sible. Not q single news
-->>:>er photographer said q
word. They Just kept snap
ping pictures.
The most audible result on
the tape was an occasional
humble, except for three
words uttered by someone,
obviously in reference to the
handsome Farsta center.
They were ''It's very mod
ern."
CONSIDERING everything,
President Tuban was prob
p ably well advised not to say
too much In Stockholm.
This is q city Of quiet,
dignified people. Sit in a
restaurant with young or old
all around you and the
silence is almost q thing you
can touch.
This can give rise to an
illusion-an illusion that the
occasionally moving lips are
not really speaking a foreign
language at all. These are
Americans, perhaps, quietly
awaiting some word Of doom.
Or elderly Englishmen in an
exclusive club. Yet ones who
would not dare say "Egad,
sir" on pain of firm expul-
sion from the premises.
Ask a Swedish person for
help and you'll get it-as
likely as not you'll be an
swered in English. But do
not expect him to be loud or
boiSterous, under ordinary
circumstances. This would
violate his sense Of good
manners and good taste,
which everywhere is evident
in this beautiful city.
= + 4
A FEW DAYS in Stock
holm Is apt to make one re-
examine all his values. A
couple Of months spent here
and you'd probably never be
entirely the same.
During his stay, President
Tubman doubtless was i'm
pressed in much the same
way as any visitor. Along
with receiving the key to
the city, he must have dis
covered that the key to the
city's character is the re-
aAraiVaf ~ ifc YNnOTN1a O