EDITORIAL: It is only about 36 years since Swedes began to think of emigration from Sweden to America. Up to that time the great Swedish populace had only heard tell of this country as, "far, far away on the other side of the world," or "at the end of the world," where nobody, except bold adventurers, dared to go, and where all were savages and criminals.

There were only three Swedes in Chicago in 1843 and they were, no doubt, the only ones in the whole of Illinois and the Northwest. Through one of them, Gustaf Flack, Erick Janson and his followers got information about America.

After their arrival in 1845-50 the way was opened, and has been ever since, for hundreds of thousands of countrymen, who, with their descendants now form the many "settlements" in Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska.

It is wellknown that the majority of these Swedish immigrants have come from the 2less fortunate classes of our old country; that they met with many difficulties at home. Their trials and experiments in this land are not secrets either. It is also well known that they have not desired to "push" themselves forward as other immigrants have done.

Their progress on account of these circumstances has been comparatively slow, but that they have been confident, is shown by the general prosperity among them. The carefulness with which they work for their spiritual welfare and the interest they show in all questions in regard to their new country are evidences of progress. Illinois is the State which was first peopled by Swedes, most of them are settled.

The Swedish population of Chicago has grown from 3 persons in 1843 to about 25,000 and in the State to 75,000.

The first immigrants who arrived were in the depths of poverty, ignorant of everything concerning the history of this land, its qualifications and position 3among the nations. But the Swedes in Illinois of today are counted as the most educated Americanized immigrants.

The Swedes bought 80 acres of land in 1846 and now they own some 400,000 acres. Some of them are owners of 1,000 acres each and farms of 400 to 500 acres are quite common.

The first Swedish church service was conducted 35 years ago in a tent, but the Swedes of this state now worshiping God in 100 different temples, some of them built in the same style and size as in the old country. Chicago alone has 9 Swedish church denominations with just as many churches. There are two great Swedish high schools in this state, many smaller schools, dozens of factories, hundreds of smaller machine shops and thousands of skilful workers.

Books, newspapers and other literature has become widely used and in circulation. This business was started 30 years ago, when "Homeland Songs" were re-printed and continued with the distribution of Luthers' Catechism. We have now in Chicago 4a bookstore, valued at $25,000.00 of this many prominent works have been distributed.

The newspapers have expanded tremendously. Beginning with a little sheet not larger than one of our Sunday school papers, the press has,year by year, grown to such an extent that we now have a dozen large weekly Swedish papers, some of them more widely distributed than any such periodicals in Sweden. At least 40,000 copies of Swedish newspapers are printed and distributed in Chicago every week besides the many monthly and bi-weekly papers.

The Swedes in this State have won many valuable political victories through this press. There are some 15,000 Swedes in Illinois, who have the right to vote and, thanks to them, the Republicans won out.

The Swedes have clearly shown that they are not behind any other nationality in the United States, but it seems that they have not lived up to a certain social standard. The Swedes in America is very willing to affiliate with other church 5denomination and to give generously to the upkeep of the church. He is also politically interested but seems to prefer isolated life. We mean, in other words, that there is not any real sociability among us yet. If the Swedes were more sociable, the Swedish homes would become brighter in the New World, the life happier and the people as a whole be more able to participate in the great work of cultivation, and development of America.