Morris tribune., 1908-01-04
Recent Occurrences of Interest
in Sweden, Norway and
Denmark.
MORE ABOUT KING GUsTAvE v.
Stirring Times Ahead for Sweden
Under the Rule of Her New
Monarch and Regime.
SWEDEN.
Stockholm.

! apOllS J0urnai VIII unQOuDLNuly 1uIer-
est many Of the readers of these col
umns who are interested in knowing
something about King Oscars success
sor: "Now that Gustave Y is secure
" seated on the throne Of Sweden, the
question ahturally arises, What sort
of monarch will he make, and what
effect will his character and political
opinions have upon the fortunes of the
country? Although the new king on
several occasions acted as regent
while his father as on the throne,
he really had little opportunity to
demonstrate what capacity he pos
| sesses for kingship. Oscar merely
turned over to his son at such times
the mass Of details, such as the exam
nation and signing of papers, which
i'll health had for the nonce made irk-
some. The king really kept close
rein on the regent and dominated his
| policy. On one occasion the menace
| of the union crisis caused. Oscar to
take the scepter quickly from his sons
hand, and himself to resume the active
| direction Of affairs. 1t thus happens
that as little is really known about
| Gustave's abilities as there was about
! Edward Wis when in 1901 he as
cended the British throne. Gustave is
man of forty-nine, whereas Edward
was ten years older than that upon
his accession. Each had been over
Swallowed all his life by universally
reyered royal parent, and came into
power late in life. AS crown prince
he never succeeded in getting the firm
hold on the affections of the Swedish
| people that his father had. He has
not the warm sympathetic tempera-
ment Of Oscar, nor his democratic
ways. In his youth he did not scruple
to show his sympathy with the mill
| tary aristocracy Of the country, which
has resisted so. strongly the democ-
ratizing of the government. Yet the
responsibility of kingship and the wis
| dom that comes with years may en-
| able Gustave to serve his people well.
| His admirers are predicting that I'M
| der his rule Sweden will again take
| her proper place in the concert of Eu-
rope, under the chaperonage of Ger
| many. There is no doubt that the
king is a Germanophile. He is as
| much at home in Berlin as in Stock
holm, and is fast friend of the
kaiser. His queen is a German prin-
cess, niece of Edward VII. He believes
| that Germany and not England is
| Sweden's natural friend and protec-
tor. The next riksdag is expected to
effectuate the scheme of universal suf-
frage on the proportional representa-
| ton plan approved by the last riksdag.
While this plan was devised by the
conservatives to save as much politi-
cal power to themselves as possible.
| they have grave reason to fear the
results when every Swedish man at
last gains the ballot. There are
stirring times ahead in Sweden. And
so the character and temper of the
new king, and his capacity for politics
both domestic and international, be.
come matters of great moment"
The body Of the late King Oscar
was inferred Dec. 10 in Riddarholm's
kings and heroes, with a ceremony the
simple impressiveness of which was
accentuated by the widespread evi-
dences of popular sorrow. Along the
SNOW covered route of the funeral pro-
cession thousands of people gathered
and stood bareheaded in the biting
cold during the passage of the hearse
and the mourners. Every bell in the
city tolled throughout the progress of
the funeral. Black draperies and 9th
er emblems of mourning hung from
the fronts of buildings facing the
streets down which the funeral cortege
passed and both sides of the route
were hedged with lines of troops. I'm
mediately following the hearse walked
Gustave, the new king of Sweden, the
king of Denmark and the princess OF
the Swedish royal house These
mourners were followed by the special
foreign embassies representing states
in all parts of the world. The queen
of Sweden and the queen of DenmarE
drove to the church. The Dowager
Queen Sophia was prevented by i'll
ness from attending the funeral, The
archbishop of Stockholm officiated at /
the ceremony. The conclusion of the
service was marked by a salute o.
forty-two guns and yolley firing by a |
detail of infantry.
There has been a lot of trouble re-
garding the management of the Royal
Opera lately. Not only is the business
carried on at loss in spite of the
fund of more than 100000 a wear at |
its disposal besides the rent-free beau /
tiful opera house. but quarrels be-
tween several of the most prominent |
artists and the weakness of the mani
at the head of affairs, Mr.. Buren,. who
has proved himself quite incapable of
putting things right, have at lastl
brought matters to such point that
people have been despairing of getting
them right again unless some RADICAL