WORLD WORK.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 15, 18 January 1930, Page 4 (Supplement)

WORLD WORK.

EVE'S OCCUPATIONS.

A FINNISH EDITOR.

(By a Special Correspondent.)

There is a kind of mystery which clings abfflit the very name of Finland, it is shrouded in a mist of half-know-ledge surmise. The names of a musician and an Olympic sprinter, Sibelius and Nurmi, alone stand out in British minds and it is very douhtful as to whether most people realise that they are Finns. However, Mrs. Krohn, of Helsingfors, is in London under the auspices of the League of Nations Union to tell the world of her gallant little country. She has already delivered twelve lectures in different parts of England and is setting out for Scotland very shortly. She has excellent qualifications for the task as she belongs to a very eminent Finnish family endowed with a hereditary gift for languages and literature. Herfather was the first Finnish man of letters to translate fiction from English into his native tongue; he chose the works of Sir Walter Scott and translated the greater number of the Waverley novels. His daughter has followed in his wake and has translated most of the important hovels and plays which have appeared within the last 25 years. Among others she mentioned the works of Shaw and Galsworthy, "Outward Bound," Sutton Vane's strange drama, "The Sacred Flame," "The Silver Cord" and "Spring Cleaning." Mrs. Krohn's EnftMfi is so good and her understand- ■ ing of literature is so keen that she is equipped with the two most necessary qualities of a translator, at the start. She told me with a little, laugh that writing was hereditary in her family. Her sister is Madam© Kallas, wife of the Estonian Minister in London and writer of many delightful books on Estonian life. The English translation of "The White Ship," a book- of short stories by Madame Kallas, had a' great success when it appeared. /The lure of pen and ink is upon the third generation also, for Mrs. Krohn's two: daughters have always loved writing ever since their childhood. Finland and the Franchise. Those of us who regard foreign women as stay-at-homes and unprogres-! sive will be surprised to hear that since the franchise was granted to Finnish women in 1905 there have been about 20 women representatives in the Finnish Parliament. Finnish women received the franchise second only to New Zealand women, but have taken a share in political life, which has been curiously enough without any parallel in the history of this Dominion. Mrs. Krohn has herself no; ambition to become a representative, her time is fully occupied in running "The Swallow," a bi-monthly magazine for children, which is really, her life work. She has edited this periodical for 25 years i and it is regarded as the best children's (paper in Finland. She always reserves one page for publication of the best efforts in prose and verse sent in by her young readers, an effective means of encouraging ambitious youngsters and raising the standard of their work. "The Swallow," unlike its name bird, is at its best at Christmas, when a- largo Christmas, number' is issued. ' Woman Editor. ' As editor of this magazine, Mrs. Krohn has been called "the Arthur Mee of Finland" and likes the comparison, being an admirer of "My Magazine" and "The Children's Newspaper." She is, however, much too original and independent to be a slavish imitator of any model: however good. Hers is a most delightful- •personality; pleasant and practical, " with - la"''(certain aloofness which Jets her, apart.' .She, was dressed in -arcoat;and skirt, pfsonie dark mixturej and wore: a yery smart black hat. Her. voice is clear-and musical, and most fascinating of all she has slim, attrac-tive-ribandsT. ' ' .

Americans. may have an opportunity q£J. listening to lectures this; year, when, she hopes ,to deliver a seriea f • with lantern those,she'is nbw giving in* Great Britain. She describes her country as rather lowand.: "many lakes and" islands." There is . a <large Swedish element in the - population,' reidinder of the •' time when Finland' was a duchy under the' Swedish' Crown, a state of things brought .to an end by a declaration of independence by the Finnish Parliament on December 8, 1917. Mrs. Krohn expressed great eagerness to visit New Zealand, but has not yet had an opportunity. Perhaps when she goes to America she may have a chance to do so.