Sta,—I read Mr. Desmond Fennell's article 'Good- bye to Summer'
in your issue of February 9 and was rather surprised at the anti-Swedish slant which it displayed practically throughout. 1 have studied conditions in the Scandinavian countries, and in particular in Sweden, for more than forty years and hope you will permit me to make one or two com- ments on those sections of Mr. Fennell's article on which I consider myself to have more intimate and, may I say so, more unbiased information.
As everywhere in the world today, Swedish youth, perhaps more than in some other countries, claims the right to a freer sex life; but apparently Mr. Fennell has come across some offices or other in- stitutions where women can claim the right to be regarded as 'full persons' on the grounds that they have 'lain with a man.'
Mr. Fennell has obviously not met many of the ordinary men and women of Sweden but has con- centrated on writers, artists, etc., as otherwise he would have realised that the ordinary men and women, both young and old, are mainly occupied with pursuing their livelihood and in their leisure time enjoying their lives. Of the hundreds of young ordinary Swedes I have come across in the course of my life I have certainly not noticed any who were fascinated by death rather than by life.
As for the section on Realpolitik and especially the paragraph on Sweden's relations with Germany and her policy during the last world war, much could be said. But this paragraph shows such ignor- ance of the facts and proves so clearly that Mr. Fennell has not bothered to read any writings on the subject by non-Swedish and thus unbiased sources that it would be a waste of time and space to correct this paragraph.
I think this letter is long enough and will therefore not make any further comments except to say that the suggestion that the 'vast majority of Swedes have the regular drinking habit' shows a deplorable ignorance of the situation today as against thirty years ago.
29 Gledhow Gardens, SW5
AGNES H. HICKS
Previous page
