Evening star., 1914-02-15
SWEDEN'S KING AND PEOPLE

just now given new life to constitutional
monarchy in stepping In between the SO
cialists and the people and espousing the
cause of the latter. Gustav ranges
himself thus in the ranks of such demo
cratic monarchies Alfonso Of Spain
Victor Emmanuel of Italy, Constantine OF
Greece and George of England.
King Gustav. il should he recalled,
manifested clearly his sympathies with
the people in the labor strikes of l.sA.
August "a of that year. yield ng to the
petition addressed him ny the women OF
the realm praying his Intervention to
bring about arbitration between laborers
and employers. the king intervened ard
promptly terminated the labor troubles.
When the radicals triumPhed in the
general election of 1911 the question of
national defense was inscribed on Their
program. They recoenized the necessity
of rendering the defense OF the country
more effective. hut they would limit their
action to the budgetary reasonably. The,
declared that they would not augment the
charges in the budget. Their first act i'i
coming TO power was looking 10
economy. They created commissions and
these commissions with their eyes on the
budget and not on the political at
mosphere which was even then over
charged. suspended work on the con-
struction of the ironclad es.Joo tons.
which the preceding conservative min
lstry had ordered.
Time passed in vain discussion in the
riksdag, the Swedish fleet WAS losing each
day its value while the coast WAS liable
to a surprise and the neutrality of Swe-
den threatened in case OF European
conflict. From 1911 clouds hung low in
the political sky. There was first the
Moroccan affair. then the Tripoltan war.
then the Balhanic wars. The people or
Sweden. we'll instructed by their friends
of the university of tfpsal. grew anxious
and impatient with the riksdag.
In 1912 committees were formed TO
issue appeals to the people TO subscribe
funds with which to
Popular Fund construct an ironclad
for Warship. an,oun.as - s .o,,s
than four million dollars and the
war vessel WAS offered to the govern
ment and is TO be completed I'm 1915 al
the time when the riksdag proposed to
vote the funds for the construction of a
ship. Another committee collected $780,
oVo, and this sum was employed for the
purchase of aerop ancs for army and
navy.
IN August, 1918. rumors were current
lhdt the commissions fcommitteesl
could mol report their conclusions be-
Iore the session of the riksdag of 1914
Ih1s meant delay. adjournment of re-
forms to the year 1916, the riksdag
VotlnS Its budget always a year in ad-
vance
The partisans of the national de-
tense. wearicd with this delay, turned
from the riksdag TO Sven Hedin who i'm
thc matter OF the popular subscript ON
mad already given the authority of mis-
name TO the committee in writing the
pamphlet, "A Word of Warming"
In this manner the government was
I IL. II
ment for the national defense before
the rfksdag of 1914.
In the interval A vast petition was
circulated over Sweden signed by
"ooeoo Swedish women. demanding
that their sons. husbands and brothers
should not be sent against an enemy
unless these had been first properly m
structed in their military duties. The
minister of war promised that the gov
ernment would actively support the
petition III the riksdag.
NJ Staaf. premier of the Swedish
council, delivered strong speech at
karkokrona December Il. 1913. He as
sured the public that the length of
military service would be augmented.
that the reserve army would be solidly
created with proper staffs. etc; that
the fortifications would be constructed.
the fleet reorganized. But the minister
confessed that he could not accomplish
these reforms in the riksdag before
1914. OF the most important of the
projected reforms. the augmentation CT
the time of the military service OF the
infantry. he said: 1t could not be re-
ported before 1915" The public would
be given the necessary information
The essential points in the projected
reforms were wanting and besides the
reforms were deferred until 1918. The
minister's speech was disappointing and
highly unsatisfactory. Moreover. the So
cialists, who had declared they Won
support NJ. Staaf, suddenly faced to the
rear and finally refused to vote the
government project. There was an ex-
plosion of rage at Upsal and thareupon
the resolve TO force the hand of gov
ernment by a rencwa of the campaign
for the national defense. The Upsal
University appointed r. bruary as the
day for monster manifestation OF the
nation. and We have Seen 3usDo
farmers led by their university friends
and supported by the king. created a
situation at Stockholm that is unique
in the annals of government.