Scandinavian American. [volume], June 01, 1948, Page 12, Image 12

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

Image provided by: Washington State Library; Olympia, WA

                
12
Swedish Pioneer Centennial
Opens in Chicago
President Truman and Prince
Bvrtil Speak at Stadium
Celebration
NEW YORK. June 8~The Swed
ish Pioneer Centennial, commem
orating the first iarge~scale arrival
of Swedish settlers in the Middle
West. opened in the evening of
June 4 at the Chicago Stadium be
fore an audience of more than 20,-
000 persons, with a. five-hour fes
tival at which President Harry S.
Truman and Prince Bertil spoke.
Prince Bertil. third son of Crown
Prince Gustaf Adolf, who heads
the official delegation from Swed‘
en. arrived in New York June 2
from Stockholm with Scandinavian
Airlines.
The delegation consists of twelve
persons, all of whom have arrived
here, With the exception of Dr.
Karin Kock, Minister without
E‘ortfolia in the Cabinet. She is
expected at the end of this week.
Dr. Kock replaces Axel Gjbres,
Minister of Cmnmei‘ce. as repre
sentative of the Government.
Prinvr Bortil Brlngs (in-Mings
From King Gustaf
Prince Berti] thanked the Presi
dent and the American people for
the welcome he and the delegates
:iad received. and brought person
al greetings from his grandfather,
King Gustaf V', as well as from his
father. Crown Prince Gustaf
Adolf and Crown Princess Louise.
He declared that no greater honor
could have been paid to the mem
ory of the first Swedish settlers
than the presence in Chicago of
President Truman‘ Turning to the
members of the Pioneer Centen
nial Committee. he said. “in no
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better way than by this commem
oration could you have shown your
desire to foster continued friend
ship and good will between the
United States and Sweden. You
may rest assured that the people
of Sweden. believing as you do in
ideas of democracy and freedom,
are animated by the same resolve."
“Amerlca Is Proud of Its Citizens
of Swedish Descent"—Mr. Truman
President Truman. who was on
a cross-country speaking t 0 u r,
made his first prepared address in
the Chicago Stadium. His subject
was legislation to admit displaced
persons, pending in Congress. Op
ening his speech with a reference
to the Pioneer Centennial, he said,
“The main stream of Swedish mi—
gration to our shores consisted of
men and women with a deep love
for the soil . . . The America to
which these Swedish settlers came
was a land that needed the hardy‘
qualities the brought Before
the Swedish immigration slowed
down, a million persons had come
from Sweden to the prairies of the
United States. Today, more than
one quarter of all people of Swed
ish descent in the world live in the;
United States . . . That is the kind}
of personal tie which strengthens“
friendly international relations. 11
am sure we can look forward to
a continuation of the long period‘
of friendship between our t we“
countries. This friendship is
heightened by the fact that Swed
‘en today is one of the most pro-s
iperous and progressive democra
cies in the world. America is
,proud of its citizens of Swedish
idescent and the part they have
(lhad in building up the Middle
:West . . . "
(‘arl anndburg Reads From His
Lincoln Biography
One of the most stirring and
impressive moments of the Sta
dium festival was the afipearanco
of Carl Sandburg. poet and his
torian. who read passages from his
great work on Abraham Lincoln
and the Civil War. Frequently de
parting from his text, Mr. Sand
burg spoko extomporaneously, his
words formulating into an ardent
plea for peace. In impassioned
tones he urged humanity to con
quer the hatred that breeds war
and destruction.
On a giant screen were shown
pictures from the life of the Swed
ish immigrants. forming a mighty
‘historical cavalcade’, accompanied
by orchestrar music and choirs of
am all two thousand voices. Set
iSvanholm. Swedish tenor. a n d
lHilding Rosenberg. noted Swedish
leomposer, participated. The Sofia
‘Girls, of Stockholm. crack girl
gymnast troupe. gave an exhibi
tion.
President Truman Awards Prince
I Bel-til Legion of Merit
i In the afternoon of the same
:day President Truman received
jPrince Bertil in the presi
;dential suite at the Palmer House.
‘On behalf of King Gustaf, Prince
‘Bertil presented Mr. Truman with
a gold medal in commemoration
of the Pioneer Centennial. The
medal. which bears the likeness of
King Gustavus Adolphus. is a
unique item. It was originally
struck in 1716 and no replica has
since been made. President Tru
man awarded Prince Bertil the
Legion of Merit. Degree of Com
mander, “for exceptionally meri
torious conduct in the performance
of outstanding services to the Gov—
ernment 0f the United States."
Three Flags From Chicago Are
Flown To Stockholm
Earlier on the 4th. the special
American 5-cent stamp. printed in
commemoration of the Pioneer
Centennial. was released at a
ceremony at the Hotel Sherman.
at which Prince Bertil thanked the
United States Government for
honoring the Americans of Swed‘
ish ancestry. On this occasion.
Prince Bertil also received t h ree
flags. one American flag which
had flown on top of the Capitol
in Washington. one flag of the
State of Illinois. and one of the
City of Chicago. All three we re
forwarded on a Scandinavian Alr-
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Speaker of the Second Chamber of
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Governor of Stockholm, and Carl
Albert Andorsson, Chairman of the
Stockholm City Council. '
Prim-e Bert“ Main Speaker At
Jubilee Banquet
At the jubilee banquet which
was held in the evening of June 5
at the Palmer House. attended by
over one thousand persons. includ
ing Governor Dwight H. Green and
Senator C. Wayland Brooks of
Illinois and Mayor Martin H. Ken
nelly of Chicago, Prince Bertil was
the main speaker. Praising the
contribution of Americans of
Swedish birth and extraction, the
Governor announced that Illinois
would set aside funds to aid re
search in the history of the early
Swedish immigration into the
State.
Dr. Conrad Bergendoff. Presi
dent of the Swedish Pioneer Cen
tennial Association. then spoke for
the descendants of the Swedish
settlers. He said that they did not
bring with them many worldly
goods liable to import duty, but
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THE SCANDI NAVIAN AMERICAN
traditions, ideals. and principles
which were the fruits of a thous
and year old Christian culture.
This inheritance, he stressed. they
used to build a bridge of friend
ship between the two democracies.
“We Swedes are proud of the
pioneers and what they did.” Ber
til said. “We are proud of you. By
your life and work, as solid law
abiding citizens, you have brought
esteem and honor to the name of
Sweden . . . We are grateful for
the magnificent gifts and dona
tions which have gone to various
institutions in Sweden. This gen
erosity, it seems to me, is one of
the noblest characteristics of the
whole American nation. In this
year of 1948, the great European
Reconstruction Program stands
out as a shiniing example of the
American readiness to give aid
and assistance and thus further
the causes of freedom and hu
manity."
Sweden Greatly Influenced By
The United States
Speaking of the effect on Swed
en of the great immigrationto Am
erica. Prince Bertil said. “In many
different ways Sweden has gained
from its contribution of emigrants
to the United States. Those who
have studied Sweden‘s modern his
tory are fully aware of the tre
mendous influence that the letters
from America had on Swedish
thinking during the latter part
of the last century and the first
decades of our own. In millions of
letters from former emigrants,
read and re-read in cottages and
farm houses. American ideas and
ideals reached the common people
in Sweden as no other form of
education could have done. The
great popular movements which
Were grown during that period
and are now pillars of our free
societ y, grew under impulses
transmitted from America."
Press Devon-s Much Space To
Centennial Celebration
The Chicago papers devoted
front page stories to the Swedish
Pioneer Centennial. studded with
photographs of Prince Berti] at
different phases of the festival,
among them in the company of
President Truman. In an editorial.
the (‘hleago Herald American
wrote that "of all our citizens, no
group has contributed more gen
erally. more variously. or more
richly to the cultural and material
growth of this city and region than
have those of Swedish descent
with their fine ideals and integrity.
unfailing tolerance, eager intellec
tuality. boundless energy. and lim
itless adaptability."
Sweden's need of grain imports
during the current year has now
been estimated at 250,000 tons.
This quantity can probably be pro
cured by muns of import from
various sources. although at a con
siderable price.