The Henson Journals

[115]

Monday, September 13th, 1920.

We arrived at Gothenburg in good time, & were met on the steamer by the British Consul, Mr Brown, and by the British chaplain who is also Vice–consul, Mr Baldwin. Finding it quite impossible to obtain rooms in any hotel, we decided to go on to Stockholm by the night train. Mr Baldwin constituted himself our guide, &, having borrowed a car from a friend, drove us to see the magnificent park. [I noticed a great green wood–pecker as we ascended the hill to the view–point. Then we went to the sea–side, & gained a fine view of the Gotha river. After coffee] we returned to the city & called on Mr Liethandler, the owner of the car which had been placed at our disposal. He forthwith asked us to dinner. [After lunch in the hotel, we vainly essayed to see the local museum, which closed at 3 p.m. just too late for us.] At 6 p.m. we dined with Mr L. very pleasantly. His wife & her sister were English, he himself a Swede. He is a merchant and a member of Parlt. I had much conversation with him on political matters. He thought that there was no real danger of Bolshevism taking root in Sweden, & that the Socialist government was perforce returning from its more extravagant positions. Branting, the Prime Minister, was personally very hostile to Bolshevism. He held that the Church was not really unpopular, though disestablishment & disendowment were included in the Socialist programme. Baldwin gives an ill–account of the bigotry of the Swedish clergy, who belong mainly to the Schartau faction, which appears to be a variety of Evangelical. We went to the station in good time, and were accompanied by our two friends, whose assiduous attentions had not failed throughout a long day.

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