1938 Newspaper Article - Lancastria Lands at Helsingfors

This 1938 Newspaper Article features the arrival of the Lancastria at Helsingfors.  Among those on the first barge to leave the ship was Gilbert Gord, who had served as the drummer in the Swedish Music Band, the Suomi Band, which was the Gord Orchestra in Tacoma during the 1930s...  (Continued in nearby blog entry, along with the Swedish from the article...)

Many Americans Finns
home
first
boat
Good business permit
repatriation by private
Car tires

Cheer and anticipation filled the arrival yesterday of the first American Finns in the obligatory holiday trip to the homeland . At the S.S. Lancastria, at nine o'clock in the evening gathered around 400 talented compatriots, who during strenuous years saved up for a ticket for the trip to Finland.

 

Many wonderful tongues buzzed in the air, when our people trod Lancastrias deck where the ocean giant was low out on Kronobergsfjarden - it was not just unlike Finnish and Swedish dialects , but also this peculiar mixture of home-country language and the American language which has been learned over there. And though a small boy’s onset of measles complicated national newspaper procedure and created a mood of quarantine for a few hours on board the steamer, the mood was the best . Expected was a joyous and heartfelt reunion with the homeland, and then a few hours here or there does could not mean anything.

There was  Mr. Bruno Forsberg , who for  many years has transported compatriots back and forth across the Atlantic, and ever helped perplexed emigrants get settled. There also appeared Dr . Rafael Engelberg, who in Suomi Seuras behalf tended comfort onboard. Also among the travelers was Consul Carl H. Salminen , who worked as a the many community leaders and further Mr.  A. Koll, chief of the one hundred or amounting to that Finland Swedish Group Members. .

When all troubles were finally bustled away, when the wealthy emigrants with cars celebrated with a few barges and with suitcases on a few others, were you ready to disembark . Two steam launches operated the traffic between Lancastria and South Harbour and when

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The first barge landed at the toll pavillion  there played a brass band " Our Country " and " Stars and Stripes " to those returning home. The many thousands of relatives and friends who had faithfully waited since five o'clock , finally cheered and waved and stopped the first ones in their arms .

Swedish music scene at / Pacific

In the smoker's lounge we meet on a nice-loooking young man, well dressed.. He is talking brightly with Evert Ekroth , also there to greet the home-returning.  And with an introduction, it appears that we have Professor John Sundesten in front of us, born in Munsala , but since 1913 has lived in the States. The professor, who is a pianist  by profession occupies a significant position among his countrymen over there. He is a conductor of the great Finnish Swedish song festivals , which Runebergs Order organizes at the Pacific coast.

-And the choirs are certainly lively and cherish the Swedish song with great interest, he relates.  At a  recent " meeting" over 400 singers turned up , but I 'm afraid that number will drop significantly. The fact is , to trans-

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plant the music is mighty weak in these choirs. Those who come out from Finland to attend probably are happy in this work , but the youth which often grows up over there, have other interests, and also are quite naturally alienated from the old mother tongue. I do not want to be pessimistic , but it can happen that we will have to limit ourselves after only five years or so , he says.

- What about you ?
I work in Seattle as a music teacher , and during this work come in quite lively contact with my countrymen in America. It is admirable to see how the parents work and sacrifice for the youth to be able to get the best possible upbringing. The result also means the that while the majority of the older generation stand quite foreign to intellectual subsidence, the younger generally go through some college and acquired an often quite impressive book learning . Thus do we too a modest cultural work in Swedish service.

Happy growers / of cranberries

Mister Albin Jansson calls himself a happy and toothless old man who, too, is on board . Also his wife 's with.

(New columm)

It 's been 28 years since Mr. Jansson was here last, and 45 years ago he went to the promised land , and now the cranberry cultivation in Massachusetts has gone so well that he could be sold on a trip home .

- But it will be only a few month , says Mr. Jansson, and grins contentedly as his gaze sweeps the city skyline at sunset. I have little time unfortunately to stay longer in my home district Kivijärvi , you know this famous place, yes ? Because then I'll travel back to care for my cranberries when the season starts again. Is it profitable ? Oh, yes, write that down reporter, write it up. Old man Jansson has been doing it for 45 years and had 10 adult children in America and no one knows how many grandchildren. My wife she was here last year , too , but I had no time then. And now I'm in on the road with splendor to the home district .

(Continued in nearby blog entry, along with the Swedish from the article...)