2
Scandinavian American
Sowing the Standinavian-Amerimn Population of the Gma Nortbwut
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K. EINAR CARLSON. Publisher
FDITORIAL STAFF
PHORSTEN NYMAN, Editor
Harry F. Fabbe
A publiranon dedicated to the Mine”: of t/ie Norwegian, Swedixb
Danijb. Finnish and Ire/.mdir pupa/grim 6‘ the Great Nortbvreu
Our Honored Publisher
King Gustaf VI Adolf of SWeden has conferred upon
K. Einar Carlson, publisher of this news-magazine. the
title of Knight, lst Class. Order of Vasa. in recognition
of his outstanding services to the Swedish. and in effect.
the Scandinavian community.
This is quite an honor and most deserving to a man who
we think is an outstanding example of the type of pub
lisher needed in today‘s Scandinavian communities. Scan
dinavian newspaperdom in America is no longer a lucra
tive business. The publisher who wants to uphold Scan
dinavian interests can hardly do so without assuming a
responsibility way out of proportion to the business mo
tive of the operation, for it’s mostly give and not enough
take.
If this publication offers something you feel is needed
in the Scandinavian community. you can surely and grate
fully attribute it to K. Einar Carlson. He is a man who
welcomes your support of this paper, not for any personal
gain, but as a sign of the recognition and understanding
all of us Scandinavians owe to each other.
This so-called travel issue is an attempt to present some
interesting facts about Scandinavian travel worth the con
sideration of the modern tourist. It comes in the very
midst of the “rush season.” but it also expounds the idea
that the ideal tourist- season in Scandinavia is not neces
sarily confined to the rush period. Personally, from our
own experience, we have always believed that too many
visitors in Scandinavia come too early or don’t stay long
enough to enjoy the ScandinaVIan summer in its full splen
dor.
In another article we have stressed what we love to call
the Scandinavian renaissance and the impact it has had
on travel to the Nordic countries. We like to think this
boost in Scandinavian travel will continue to grow, and we
see in this trend a certain news value of definite interest
to anyone intent on spreading the good Scandinavian word
around in this country. Travel is education, and particu
larly so in Scandinavia, whose model democracies offer
more clear-cut examples of constructive, progressive liv
ing than most of continental Europe, with all its ancient
monuments and masterpieces. That, we believe, is also
something tourists should look for and learn from in a
world bent on destruction.
Distinguished Visit
The visit of Norway's Prime Minister Einar Gerhard
sen to Seattle. May 24th will be a. very distinguished and
rare occasion. It is said that Mr. Gerhardsen was prompt
ed to come out here by his desire to see the Norwegian
dominated fishing fleet, based in the Seattle area. That
may be true. but we like to think that his visit is also
occasioned by his interest to see our Norwegian colony,
whose varied activities. including Norway Center, have at
tracted attention in the homeland. After all, one can
hardly find a Norwegian colony in America so active and
united as ours in Seattle.
America’s Icelandic Moral
The Christian Science Monitor, an outstanding news
paper. makes an interesting observation in connection With
the invitation of the- Icelandic government to United
States calling for a garrison manned by American troops
in Iceland. This is now being done under provisions of
the Atlantic Pact, which Iceland signed. It is the second
time America has a garrison in Iceland.
lie Monitor notes that the Communist world is already
, crying “occupation" and that Pravda will be asking what
r difference. if any. is there between Russian soldiers in
Poland and Hungary and American troops in Iceland.
Scuttle 1. Washington
Travel Issue
Andrew Bjerkeseth
Norway Aids laws By Big Drive
A group of civic-minded Nor
wegians have started a vigorous
campaign to transform the L a p p
Society into a nation-wide organi
zation for all who are interested
in the cultural and economic ad
vancement of Norway's 20,000
Lapps, or “Samer.” as they prefer
to be called.
Founded in 1948. the Society is
dedicated to fostering better un
derstanding between the Lapps and
their fellow Norwegians. Its main
objective is to help the Lapps in
adapting themselves to modern
society. As part of its expansion
plan. the Society proposes to pub
lish a Lapp-Norwegian dictionary
and also a Lapp Yearbook, pre
senting factual information on the
historical background and present
conditions of this ancient, peace
ful, and often underestimated and
misunderstood minority group. The
Society will also campaign for
more free scholarships for Lapp
youths. many of whom at present
are unable to take‘full advantage
of the educational opportunities
avaiable to them as Norwegian
citizens.
To Pmsen‘e Culture
The importance of the new pro
gram was stressed by Asbjorn
Nesheim. who heads the Lapp So
ciety's current membership drive.
Mr. Nesheim told “Aftonposten”
that the Society will do all it can
to speed the assimilation and nor
wegianization of the Lapps. At the
same time. efforts will be made
to preserve certain unique aspects
of Lapp culture, not least in or
der to strengthen the growing
feeling of equality and selfirespect
among the Lapp people.
The difference is obviously great. 'American Marines
landed in Iceland in July, 1941. and other forces followed
to ensure the strategic island against the threat of Ger
man seizure. President Roosevelt promised that at the
end of the war all American military and naval forces
would be withdrawn. The withdrawal was completed be
fore the end of 1946. '
The Monitor adds: “When the Russians can cite truth
fully a similar item from their recent history world ten
sion will begin to ease.”
Error About Norse Independence
In their stories of the Norwegian May 17th festival in
Seattle recently, Seattle newspapers said that this national
celehratinn of the homeland commemorates the day Nor
way gained independence from Sweden. That is not true.
The May 17th festival pertains to the independence Nor
way gained from Denmark in 1814, when it got its own
constitution. The union which prevailed between Sweden
and Norway for some years was sought voluntarily by
Norway and was dissolved peacefully in 1905, at which
time Norway got a king of its own.
If this issue comes out in time, readers should avail
themselves of the opportunity of seeing Thor Heyerdahl's
film “Kon-Tiki” at the Music Box Theatre, Seattle. It
shows how he and his companions drifted 4,000 miles on a
log raft on the Pacific from Peru3to~Polynesia. 'The film
is so convincing that it leaves the impression Heyerdahl
truthfully proved what he set out to do: that the first
natives of Polynesia. came the same way. from South
America.—T.N.www '- ~
Mr. Nesheim hailed the recent
publication of a Norwegian-Lapp
reader as a great forward stride
in the educational progress of the
Lapps. Written by Marguerethe
Wiig. of Karasjok, Lapp center in
the northernmost province of
Finnmark. the 160-page reader
features ten pen-and-ink drawings
by Lapp children. illustrating the
daily life of reindeer-herding no
mads.
In another move designed to aid
Lapp education. Tromsoe Teach
ers' School. in the province of
Troms. has introduced “Sammie"—
the Lapp language. as a subject
in its four-year course. Students
interested in taking up “Samic”
are granted special scholarships.
but must. in return. pledge them
selves to teach in a Lapp school
for at least 5 years after gradua
tion.
This summer. a comprehensive
exhibit. showing the development
of Lapp culture through the ages,
will be held at Karasjok. The
event is expected to attract hun
dreds of ‘Lappa ’from the Nor
wegian provinces of Finnmark,
Troms, Nordiand. and Trfindelag.
as well as from Sweden. Scheduled
to open in the latter part of June.
the Karasjok fair is also designed
to stimulate higher standards of
craftsmanship in the making of
Lapp handicrafts.
The language barrier is a prob
lem also for Norwegian defense
authorities. Recently, at a train
ing course held at Karasjok, the
National Guard organized several
units composed of young Lapps
Kon-Tiki Film
THEigANDINAVIAN AMERICAN
Unique Exhibit
who are unable to speak or un
derstand Norwegian. Headed by
Samic-speaking officers from lo
cal districts. the youths will no
longer have any difficulty under.
standing military orders.
During the Karasjok defense
practice. reindeer were success
fully used to pull light artillery
and machine guns across the snow
covered Finnmark mountain pm.
teau. The strenuous operation in
cluded a ZOO-mile long foot max-(h
in temperatures of 37 below zero
Fahrenheit.
There are a number of Samic
dialects, all quite different. so
wide is the difference that most
Finnmark Lapps- today must re
sort to Norwegian in talking with
the Home Lapps. The latter, liv
ing in the mountain regions south
east of Trondheim, are now largo
ly assimilated, though they still
have close bonds with the Lapps
in northern Norway.
Most of the 20,000 Norwegian
Lapps live in the northernmost
province of Finnmark. where they
earn their livelihood as 0reindeer
borders. or fishermen-farmers.0f
the two thousand Norwegian rein
deer herders, about 800 live in
Finnmark. The nomadic herders
have banded together in an asso
ciation which seeks to promote the
economic and social interests of
all Norwegian Lapps.
As far back as the country's
history can be traced, the Lapps
have lived in Norway. Archeologi
cal finds, dating from the 12m
Century B.C.. show that already
then the Lapps were living in
northern Norway, mostly as hunt
ers and trappers. Present-day
Samic is related to the Finno-
Ugrian group of languages. An
thropologically the Lapps are clas
sified with the palm-arctic cul
ture. which comprises all peoples
scattered along the far-flung edge
of the polar cap.
Swedish Exports
Must Be Boosted
Sweden must continue to try to
increase her exports but is. on the
other hand. compelled by the gen
eral state of uncertainty in the
world to consider its own needs.
said John Ericsson. Minister of
Commerce. at the recent annual
meeting of the Swedish Export As—
sociation. He recalled recent an
nual meeting of the Swedish Ex
port Association. He recalled that
the 1950 export volume was twen
ty-five per cent greater than the
year before. when Sweden for the
first time reached the prewar level.
Prices of Swedish export prod
ucts have begun to rise more than
the important prices. which will
reflect favorably on the foreign ex
change situation. it the trend con
tinues. Rolf von Heidenstam, pres
ident of the Export Association,
said prices on export products of
the mechanical industry. compris
ing about 30 ‘per cent of the total
exports. have risen by only 10 to
15 per cent. and that the price in
crease has already, to a great ex
tent. been cancelled out by higher
wages. increased coal .prices. etc.
For that reason, a revaluation of
the krona would be very precari
ous for the mechanical industry
and allied industries
Norse Co-Ops
Show Progrgss
The 1950 financial report of the
Norwegian National League of
Cooperatives. which at the end of
last year had 1,150 affiliates with
a tote] of 75,000 members. IhoWl
a net surplus of more than 2 mil
llon kroner.
Total sales in 1950 reached)“
million kroner, an incl-me of 25.7
percent compared with 1949. when
sales amounted to 112.2 mllllon.
53 million kroner‘s worth of the
products sold were made by co
op factories, ugalnst 42.3 million
in 1949. ,
More thnn 1.190,000 kronor.“
the net surplus were pild"btdk
to local co-opa as Danny and
lnterelt on shun hold in tho‘Nq
tlontl League. '