Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1914-04-15
News Gathered In the Father
land and Elsewhere.
STRONGER DEFENSES WANTED

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Preparations for the election of a
new Swedish parliament are in full
swing. with a tremendous wave of
popular clamor for stronger nation
al defense aroused by the fear of Rus
sian aggression. Two parties-Con-
servatives and Liberals-make this
the dominant issue of the campaign,
but beneath this is a question deemed
by Socialists as even more pregnant
with immediate consequences than
the possibility Of invasion. It is de-
clared in some quarters that the kings
crown is at stake, whatever truth
there may be in it. The point is that
while the demand for stronger nation.
al defense has stirred the whole ma
ton. some classes are apparently
still more concerned in defending
themselves against an excessive ex-
ercise OF power by their king, Gustav
v. The riksdag just dissolved con-
sisted of 1O1 Liberals and "a Social
Democrats. The defense proposals
upon which the king and his cabinet
will ask the support of the voters are.
according to minutes of the cabinet
meeting, as follows. For army drills
there will be $50 days and three train
ing periods. each thirty days. Stu
dents and similar persons are to
serve longer time, but not more than
500 days. The navy is to consist of
two divisions. each composed of four
armored ships. four divisions of de-
stroyers each of four ships, and two
divisions of submarines. An aeronau-
tic fleet is to be organized. The ex-
penses will be paid by progressive
defense tax on big fortunes and in
comes, which is to be set aside solely
for military purposes" The minutes
concluded with the following declara-
ton by the king: ION the solution
Of this question, so vital for this ma
ton, depends the possibility of pre-
serving our liberty and independence
and defending our neutrality" The
proposals do not differ greatly from
the program of the Liberals. The So
cialists, however, are not; only de-
handing a reduction of expenditures
for army and navy, but have definite
~ decided to make the establishment
of republic plank in their platform.
The Conservatives are drawing the
person of the king into their contest
and the fight is plainly between the
crown, represented by them, and the
other two parties. Socialist asser-
tons that King Gustav assumed pow
ers not granted by the constitution
have drawn from him the following
declarations: Il declare that every
vestige and effort in the direction of
personal regal power has been, is and
will be alien to me. l have hither-
to performed my royal duties in &C.
cordance with the order and spirit of
the fundamental law and in fidelity
to my motto: With the people for
the Fatherland.' never will depart
from my determination to do so In the
future"
!. !. \
Representative Stadner Of the Swed-
ish riksdag has introduced a bill
which aims at a thorough reform
throughout the country relative to
Sunday observance. The bill affects
the railways and the postal service
and proposes to relieve all persons
employed on Sunday from work on
that day. Sunday observance has
been generally neglected throughout
the kingdom for several years and
the trend to make the Sunday a day
of festivity has grown more popular
until it has commenced to alarm the
more serious minded and the clergy.
Mrs. Marie Charlotte de Lang, de-
scendant of Swedish nobility, who
was a resident Of Chicago for fifty
six years, died in that city recently.
She was born in Stockholm in 1926
and was the granddaughter Of Prin.
cess Sophia Albertine of Sweden, the
youngest child of King Adolphus
Frederick. She married Anton C. de
Lang. son of a French army officer
who was with Napoleon. They came
to America In 1852.
Through the Swedish minister In
Picking, China. Professor J. G. Ander.
son. chief of the department. for geo.
logical research in Sweden, has been
to act in an advisory capacity
IN the work Of organizing the geo.
logical research department Of China
during one year from May l.
1. ...---e-
King Gustav " submitted to an op
Grafton at his Sophia home near
1t was stated that the
operation was due merely to ulcer a.
the stomach, but the Aftenbladet II
authority for the statement that the
king is suffering from cancer.
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NORWAY.
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When % boy we studied eeos
r0nhv anvu q l,no~ 49, - 3