New-York tribune., 1906-02-04
DENM4RK'S NEW KING.
Pen Sketch of Frederick pIII 6y
One Who Has Long KnO7cn HIM.


mark was so picturesque a figure in his
role of father, grandfather, great-grandfather
and uncle of the major portion of European
ROYALTY that he may be said to have monopollzed
popular interest as far as the reigning house or
Denmark has been concerned. Occupying the
centre of the stage, he completely overshadowed
his eldest son, with the result that his successor
is far less widely known than he deserves to
be. For Denr-crk, although a small country
scarcely even a second-class power, and in
capable of putting than about fifty thou
sand soldiers in the field. nevertheless occupies
as important a position in the north of Europe
as Turkey does in the south. If the Sultan
commands the entrance to the Black Sea by his
possession of the Dardanelles, Frederick VIII
holds the key to the Baltic, and in the
of the last ten fifteen years Denmark, urged
by her ruler. has by means of heavy finan-
cial sacrifices, and often in the teeth of parli-
mentary opposition, strengthened the defences
of Copenhagen to such an extent that she con-
trolls the access to and the egress from the
Baltic. True, there is the Baltic Canal, con-
structed by Germany for purely military pur-
poses But its capacities extremely limited.
and experience with the Suez Canal has shown
how easy it is to obstruct of these artificial
waterways foe Gays and even weeks together
HE principal gate of the Baltic remains the
so-called Sound, the waters of which wash the
walls of Copenhagen and as King Frederick
has become the keeper of this gate he is destined
10 play a far more weighty role in international
politics than is warranted by the size and popu-
tatton of his kingdom. This being the case. a
brief pen sketch of this new monarch NAV be
regarded as timely by the readers of The Trib-
une, and perhaps it may command some addi-
tonal interest through the circumstance that
1t is written by one who has enjoyed the personal
acquaintance of Frederick for manv wears in
deed, since 1871
1t vas in that year that I first became ac-
cualnted with Queen Alexandra's eldest brother
not at Copenhagen, but at Paris. Summing in
IloSe DAYS was not as common it has since
become. Relating at a dejeuner one day to the
Crown Prince of Denmark, as he was then the
extraordinary sights and adventures of the pre-
Vlous night which l had spent in visiting the
worst and Oldest quarters OF the city, under the
guidance of the police, he became so interested
in the story that he insisted on my making
arrangements to enable him to undertake
similar expedition. The responsibility was not
altogether pleasant one for tour of this
knd was not unattended by danger. and where
as in other cities the police cicerones always
insisted upon visitors to the slums being un-
armed, in Paris the contrary was the case since
there was always the possibility that the police
and those in their company would be attacked
Win Knives ana reVOIVerS Dy those dreadful
thugs who in bands to which they give Indian
names, such the Apaches, infest the Bar
rieres." and the so-called eccentric quarters
delighted when they can find themselves in
sufficiently large force to outnumber their arch
enemies the sergeants de VILE 1 accordingly
sought the advice of NJ. Gambetta then chief
Of the parliamentary budget committee and
with whom l was terms of intimacy, and
told him of what was contemplated by the
Crown Prince. He at once communicated the
matter to the Minister of the Interior and to
the Premier A Cabinet meeting was summoned
and the Minister of Foreign Affairs in
structed to request the Crown Prince in the
most pressing manner through the Danish
envoy in Paris to abandon his projected slum
ming expedition, declaring that the admnstra-
zion could not consent to accept the responsible
fty for his safety in the slums, and at the same
time pointing out that if any harm befell him
there it would reflect upon the hospitality and
the fair name of France. The prince good
enough to intimate to without delay that
ments which he had asked me to make for the
tour through the slums and blamed himself
for having spoken too freely about the affair
and thus allowed the authorities to become
aware thereof. OF course, I did not tell him
about my call on Gambetta in connection there
with. and King Frederick will never know of it
unless he happens to see these lines
Frederick a frequent visitor to Paris
differing in this respect from his father, who
Iic afo-