The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-04-03
BIG POWER PLANT
 FOR COPENHAGEN
Loan of S11,OOO,, 1000 Is An
 nounced for the Purpose
CHANGE FOR AMERICANS
Suit Against Swedish Royal House for Letters May Develop Some Inter- esting Historical Facts.
 Ice Yachting

Copenhagen, April Especial. .)-Amer- ican electrical concerns may be able to do some business with the municipality of Copenhagen, which has just announced loan of $11,OOOO0O, the proceeds of
 which are to be devoted to public inn proyements, including an electric power plant. Among other things for which the money is to be spent are school houses, market buildings and new hos pital I understand it is the purpose of the municipality to invite American bids on the electric plant.
 The action brought by an old man named Johansson against the Queen Dow ager of Sweden and the three younger brothers of the king, of which mention
 was made last week, may develop some interesting facts concerning the Swedish royal house.
 Johansson has been obsessed all his life with the idea of unearthing the secret history of a mysterious lady named Helga de la Brache, who was at one time th&ght to be daughter of King Gus tavus ". This monarch, who died in 1887, was himself an eccentric, and his virulence against Napoleon led to the Russian conquest of Finland and to many i'll consequences for Sweden. He was de- throned in 1909, King Charles XIV, from whom the present line descends, succeed ing to the throne. The deposed ruler afterwards re-married his divorced con- sort, and the suggestion is that Helga de la Brache was their daughter.
 Johansson now declares that in 1S42 she delivered to the present Kings grand father Afterwards Oscar D some letters proving her royal birth, and that she never succeeded in getting them returned. He Is, therefore, suing the dowager queen and the princess to obtain the let ters. It seems to be true that the mys- terious Helga obtained a pension from the government on the strength of the letters. and that she lost it afterwards and died in poverty.
 The Danish premier, NJ Zahle. has brought in a bill in the chamber for the abolition of the existing censorship, which is at present carried out by the po- lice authorities, will in future be en- trusted to a board. the members of which will be theatrical critics, actors and man. agers.
 In case the authorities declare that in the public interest any play should be forbidden, the author will have the right to apepal to the board of censorship, which can permit the performance or confirm the prohibition.
 All Stockholm has gone crazy over isjakting, which, translated, means ice yachting. The crown princess, who was Princess Margaret of England, has set the fashion and Swedish society has taken it up eagerly.
 The fact is the English princess has been a perfect godsend to Swedish fem | ininity. She has proved to the rather in | dolent Swedish ladies (bound as they have been by the strictset of rules) that wo- men can companion husbands and broth, CTS out of doors in md-winter without the loss either of their complexion or their dignity. Her hockey team startled so- ciety at first but when it was preceived that the princess-in her dainty garb, with her white silk veil drawn costly over her rebellious hair, and her perfect ly cut skirts showing the nattiest of foot gear-had managed to have a good after noons fun without sacrificing one jot of her womanly charm, the startled ones began not only to condone, but to copy.
 The miles of frozen sea and lake about Stockholm, the blue sky. the long slopes. covered with powdery snow. that descent from the forests to the shore-all these make a sort of paradise for skiing, skat- ing. sleighing. and, above all. for ice sailing in the isjakts
 These yachts are built, on racing lines. When the force of the wind makes other ice sports unpleasant then is the time to don furs and woollens and surrender one self 10 the intoxicating pleasure of speed ing literally Hike the wind' down the long reaches of some picturesque fjord or out on Lake Malar, or even on the Baltic itself.
 Next season it is safe to say every one who can afford it will have an isjakt.