Scandinavian American. [volume], November 01, 1945, Page 2, Image 2

About Scandinavian American. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1945-1958

Image provided by: Washington State Library; Olympia, WA

                
2
Danish Test Shows Naziism To Be
Unable To Fill Spiritual Needs
By Joseph C. Harsch in The Christian Science Monitor
In times past there has been
some tendency to criticize the
Danes for not resisting Germany
formally. Denmark never has for
mally joined the United Nations
nor formally declared war against
Germany.
But returning there after hav
ing seen it during the first week
of German occupation, I am con
vinced that Denmark has played
a unique and extremely important
role in ending the Nazi concept.
In every other country overrun
by the Nazis there were many
material reasons why the people
finally rose and turned against
their oppressors. Had there been
no Denmark it would have been
possible for future Nazi apolo
gists to argue that the people of
other countries rose against Nazsi
ism only because during the course
of the war they suffered physi
cal hardships and mass physical
injuries.
Danes Turned Against It
But the Danes turned against
it without any such reasons. Only
in Denmark has Nazlism been dis
avowded solely because Nazlism
represented a denial of freedom.
Thus only in Denmark is it
possible to find proof that Naziism
at its gentlest and best was un
able to win converts from the out
side world.
Behind this is a long story of
Nazi efforts to provide the world
with window dressing. The Danes
suffered during the war very much
less than anyone else. Only bread
and butter were rationed. The only
commodities seriously short or un
available entirely were tobacco.
coffee. tea, and chocolate.
Most meats were unrationed.
Even rationed butter always was
plentiful. Eggs existed abundant
ly as nowhere else in Europe.
And until the Danish police were
arrested en masse in 1944 the
number of Danes deported for po
litical reasons were trivial. Even
then. the total number arrested
was minute in comparison with
other occupied countries. and these
were given better treatment than
in any other European nation.
Nazis DPtested
In spite of all this. it is doubt
ful if the Nazis were detested
more universally or resisted more
staunchly mentally than in Den
mark.
VVhen Allied strategy required
industrial and transportation de
molitions. the Danish Underground
undertook the task with internal
sabotage more efficient than
bombing. The important thing is
that they carried out their as
signments on schedule. So Den
mark was spared bombings al
most entirely because bombs were
not needed the Danish Under
ground (iiil a first-class job.
Denmark 15 the onlv country
I have yet seen in Europe where
life is almost as it was before the
war started. Streetcars are run
ning. shops are. open for busmess,
the peOple are well dressed and
well fed. Yet this treatment nev
er won the affection of the Danes.
I arrived very late some 10 days
after the first flush of liberation.
Even at that late date the people
waved everywhere when I was
drivmg or stopped and talked
when I was walking. Children
came up with pencils requesting
autographs everywhere and at
all hours.
Truly Royal “'Plt-ome
This was truly a royal welcome
for latecomers, for Denmark
wanted freedom even if it knew
that in all probability privations
would become worse rather than
better under freedom for the next
six months or more,
The people are under no il
lusions. All their export trade
must be redirected and it will be
a long time before thev ran be
gin tn obtain imports frnm abroad.
Thus here in Denmark. and here
alone. is there the full eoncluslve
proof that Naziism, even when it
turned its gentlest face toward
an occupied country. was unable
to offer the people spiritual satis
faction.
Personalities On
Buses
By Ellenor B jerkeseth
One hot day I took my life into
mv own hands and entered a city
bus. And there I met some of the
most interesting characters in the
world.
To begin with. the bus was
overcrowded. Few, if any, win
dows were opened. As I stood
there, sweat rolling down my
back, I glared at the woman sit
ting in a cushioned seat near by.
“Why can‘t she open the window
and give me and my fellow suf
ferers a little air?" I thought. Of
course she and others like her
may have their reasons. The breeze
may mess up their hair or the air
may be too chilly. Meanwhile oth
ers stood roasting to death.
After the close air and little
breathing space was taken for
granted, the woman standing close
by jabbed her “Grason” packages
into my spinal cord. After slowly
moving my tortured back. my
fpeace was again disturbed when
ithe 6‘ 3" fellow next to me brought
ihis foot down on my poor aching
aone.
All of a sudden the bus driver
slammed his brakes on as a dog
and a cat crossed the road. Then
tons and tons of dozens of people
came crashing down. After grunts
and groans people picked them
selves up out of the aisle and the
bus jerked on.
Then there was the road hog
who could verv well hear the bus
driver screaming, ”Move back in
the bus." but nevertheless he stood
arrogantly. reading the latest edi
tion of “Esquire." and refused to
move.
About this time tome poor soul
reached her stop and by squirm
ing. shoving. pushing and squeez
ing she made her way to the door,
where she yanked the buzzer three
or four times to make sure the
his driver heard her. She then,
stumbl‘ng down the stairs. made
her ex1t. She left an empty seat.
but before anv lady (including
me. could move. Mr. Dasher had
made a dive for it. and by squash
ing the frail laily occupying the
other third of the seat he made
himself comfortable.
As I left the bus a few blocks
later I felt like a football player
must feel after a tough scrim
mage. As the bus limped away
from th0 r-urb I thought to my
self: “There are all sorts of people
,n the world and you meet them
all on the buses."
Johnson To Head
Alaska Railroad
WASHINGTON, Oct. 9. Appoint
ment of Col. John P. Johnson of
the Army Transportation Corps
as general manager of the gov
ernment-owned Alaska Railroad
was announced today by Secre
tary of the Interior Harold L.
Ivkes.
Johnson will succeed Col. Otto
F. Ohlson. who will retire De
cember 3] after heading the rail
road since August 1. 1928.
(‘olonel Johnson, a resident of
Topeka. Kas. began his railroad
career in 1917 as an engineering
iippi-o-ntirp of the Atchisom To
peka & Santa Fe Railroad.
Ideas are funny things. They
won't Work unless you do.
The World’s Greatest
Discovery
When our own great Benjamin
Franklin was in England and
there found Thomas Paine, he
made the greatest discovery of
man by man—and when he pro
moted and prevailed on Tom to
come to our colonies here, he
did to humanity and incidentally
to our good old U. S. A., the
greatest beneficial one-man act of
all time.
This man Paine was the human
electron who inspired and ignited
into fire and flame the inherent
love of liberty and independence
all conscious beings cherish most,
next to life itself.
Over here he met with the most
reverberant and to him inspiring
response from many of the happy
pioneers on our shores, foremost
and most outstanding among
whom was he who later became
our greatest president. Thomas
Jeffersqm.
Yes, he even electrified the then
richest man in America, the able.
honest, aggressive and benevolent
owner of slaves, George Washing
ton. to dig in and organize the
rebellion and start and carry thru
to victory the revolution which
drove the entering wedge to free
all of humanity from oppression
of man by man.
Gust H. Steen,
Kirkland.
Danish Ship
Honored
Danish colors fluttered once
more over the square-rigged ship
Danmark. as officers of their pre
war training ship for the Danish
Merchant Marine received the
thanks of the United States Navy
and Coast Guard for helping to
train more than 4.500 U. S. Coast
Guard officers. The flag of Den
mark was run up to the main
truck and the messages of com
mendation were handed to the
Captain of the Danmark at cere
monies at New London. Conn.
Interned in the St. John's Riv
er, F1a.. when the Nazis invaded
Denmark in 1940. the services of
the ship and its officers were of
fered by Capt Knud L. Hansen
to the United States Government,
after Pearl Harbor. The Navy ac
cepted the offer and the Danmai'k
was commissioned as 3 Coast
Guard training ship.
As the ship completed its serv
ice for the United States. and
prepared to return to its prewar
job, it was presented with a
Home memorial plaque marking
its wartime use. and a colored nio
tion pictuu‘ record of that use.
Dr. Jenseneflorman
Called By Death
Dr. Teder Jensen-Norman, 8]
years old, retired physician and
formvr state senator. died at his
home in Tacoma reCently. He
worked for many years with the
Veterans’ Administration at Fargo.
N. D., Knoxville. Iowa. and Cush
man Hospital, Tacoma.
He was one of the founders of
the poppy drive, originated to
raise funds for hospitalized ex-sol
diers. He served as state senator
from Pierce County 1904—06. Dr.
Jensen-Norman is survived by his
widow. Agnes, two daughters and
two sons.
Coal Mine Owner
Dies In Accident
Ernest Theodore Anderson, 60.
resident of Seattle for 30 years.
was killed in his coal mine near
North Be-nd recently in an ac
cident. The body was brought in
Tacoma.
A Thousand Years Of Parliament
The Icelandic sun rise almost
mixed with midnight at the time
of the June solstice at Thingvellir,
and the cold dawn, pearly with
mist, faintly lighted the lake as it
lay half hidden beneath low-lying
nimbus clouds that clung to the
near-by slopes and soaked the
bracken with chill dew. The si
lence of the great plain was
broken by the thin piping of the
whimbrel — the Icelandic curlew
that nested there on the Mosfell
heath—and that thin sound car
ried to my ear against an over
tone of the half - heard and
smoothly constant roar that came
from the falls of the Axe River as
it plunged from the near-by cliff
above Almannagja.
There were thirty-five thousand
of us tenting there on the plain
that night— thirty-five thousand
who had gathered to celebrate an
actual millennium. a thousand
years of the world’s first parlia
ment of democracy, the Icelandic
Althing, which. ten centuries be
fore. had been established on the
Liigberg—the “Mount of Laws"—
on this very plain.
To this place, in the summer of
the year 930 A.D.. came the rep
resentatives who had been chosen
by the Icelandic people, from every
province of the island. And here.
by democratic vote. these repre
sentatives had duly established a
government of their own choosing
to ratify, of their own free will.
the laws that were henceforth to
govern this remote but forward
looking land. Since then. from 930
to 1930. while the outside world
had evolved through the storms of
the long centuries, while the giant
California redwoods had added
each a thousand rings to their
stout stems, Iceland had alter
nately prospered and suffered both
the blessing and the curse of iso
lation; but in that time had
achieved. in the grim discipline of
geography. a unique phase of
Western civilization. . . .
Now we were assembled on this
great plain——the Icelanders. our
hosts. and we guests from thirty
Icelandic Forester Visits Alaska
Following a trail blazed by his
grandfather in 1875 ~but mith a
different end in View Hakon
Bjarnason. chief of the State For
ustry Service of Iceland. arrived
in Juneau recently. Forty flying
hours brought the forest special
;st here from his nzltzve island
(n'mnnwonlth in the North At
lzmtic.
Forester Bjarnason's purpose in
coming to Alaska is to study for
est growth, principally in thi-
Prince Williams Sound and Kenai
Peninsula regions. wherv (‘llnlilth
conditions are most nearly like
those of his isolated land. H0 03(-
poets to remain in Alaska until
mid-October.
Thc Icclandic government is on
dcavoring to establish forcst
growth in the southcrn coastal rc
gions of thc country, sufficicnt to
care for domestic nccds. Mr.
Bjarnason pointcd out that it was
in to 12 thousand _vcnrs ago that
h‘s country was glaciated ovcr
during the last icc agc. In tho
relativcly short period since thc
ice rctreat. natural sceding of thc
isolated island has necessarily
been limited.
Iceland now has some natural
forest areas of larch. birch, moun
tain ash and willoWs. The birch
forests in particular, he said. have
been fostered by his predecessors
at the forestry helm. until they
now rrake a good showing His
service is now trying to establish
coniferous varieties from imported
seed. He is especiallv interested in
Sitka spruce and hemlock seed
from Alaska.
It was in 1935 that Icvland first
npr-m-d rnrx'ospnndenvo with the
Alaska Forest Service and aim-v
thvn Sumo seed has rouchod his
country from the (anduvn and
Knnax Lakv sectors. Though that
seed has been in Iceland soil only
THE SCANDINAVIAN AMERICAN
countries. And as we gathered in
celebration of a great accomplish
ment in the orderly government of
men, a hush fell over this fantastic
lava Plain of Parliament. Bishop
Helgasson, of the Lutheran cathe
dral, ascended the pulpit that had
been erected there beside the rug
ged Lligberg, and opened this
unique jubilee with the singing of
the Icelandic national anthem. . . .
And as the stanza drew to'a
close, with a volume of song that
swelled across the plain, the clouds
broke about Mount Hengill, and
down the Kaldidalur streamed a
shaft of sunbeams. . . .
Under the constitution known as
the law of union. the King of Den
mark (now no longer recognized)
was then also King of Iceland.
which nontheless, was asovereign
state. And as King of Iceland. His
Majesty King Christian X presided
over the civil ceremonies that fol
lowed.
And there, upon the eternal
rocks of the Ltigberg, was con
vened as dramatic an Althing as
could possibly be imagined.
In authentic tenth-century cos
tumes and with solemn ritual. a
pageant of lawglvers took their
seats upon the rocks, and when
the speaker called the roster of
this first parliament of men. each
man who answered was a descend
ant of one thus summoned a thou
sand years ago!
“But, Arent." I asked my Ice
landic companion, “how can you
possibly know who are indeed the
direct descendants of forebears of
ten centuries ago '3"
“Our Doomsday Book," he told
me, “is quite accurate. It is an of
ficial record of our people in un
broken continuity~—a precise saga
that makes every Icelander feel a
living link in this long chain. Nor
is this ancient book a myth. It is
Well guarded in the Royal Library
in Copenhagen. and copies exist
for security." "From “Merchant of
Alphabets," by Reginald Orcutt.
copyright 1945 by Doubleday.
Doran and Company. Inc.
a few years. already it has proved
superior to seed obtained from
areas of northern Europe and Si
beria. It is even better than seed
of Alaska origin that in 1937 was
obtained from Norway. The Alas
lza via Norway seed has produced
trees now about 12 feet h‘gh. but
much better results are expected
from seed obtained from properly
selected Alaska loralities.
Besides studying the native con
dtions of Alaska forest growth.
.\lr. lijarnason will seleet areas
most similar to his land. He will
try to arrange thh inhabitants
of those areas to send a Continu
ous supply of that seed to Iceland.
He deelared that the Alaska For
est Ser\'iee_ partieularly Regional
Forester Bl Frank Heintzieman.
former Assistant Regional Forest
er Wellman Holhrook and super
visors at (‘ordova have alreidy
heen most helpful to his country.
Iceland now has much larger nur
series and ran go into tree cul
ture on a more extensive scale.
which prompted the Ireland gOV
ernment to send Mr: Bjarnason to
Aleka. He helzeves that Alaska
"s perhaps the only place in the
World except perhaps Smith Am
erica where conditions the same
as Iceland's van be found and
where forests are now thriving.
Bjarnason is not the first of his
family line to set foot on Alaska
soil. Shortlv after the United
States purchase of Alaska from
Russia, his grandfather, Jon Olaf
son. led an expedition of Iceland
ers from Wisconsin to (‘ook Inlet
and Koliuk. That party was to
have been the forerunner of an
Alaskan eolony of Icelanders.
HoWerer, after the exploratory
Work had been accomplished.
transportation difficulties thwart
ed the design. Grandfather Ola!-
son returned to Iceland to report.
inter settled again in Wisconsin.