Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-02-02
Times for the Kings of Scandinavia

propaganda ships actually anchor In
Copenhagen harbor. The German reys
olution inspired Denmark's left 500
cialists with hope. Under an incen.
agitation In Finland and Russia and
under Dutch cabaret singer. named
Kreefeldt, whose chief political wis.
dom, he boasts. lies in smashing 20.
licemen's noses. they held fiery meet.
ings In the center of Copenhagen
city. Premier Zahle looked helpless
~ on.
In November the storm burst The
bolsheviks demanded general strike,
deposition OF the king and rule in flu
ture by council of soldiers and
workmen. When the strike failed
they rioted, broke every window in
the Grontroff Square and in the
Frederiborgs street. and defaced the
noses and chins of eighty police
men Only the threat of seventeen
armored veritable tanks. pre-
pared against Germany subdued
them. Today. thirty OF them are UNI
der trial and the police are hunting
tor the chief Moscow agitator. a GER
tam khodotoff, who, backed by
2,ehO.o 900 roubles, directed the whole
aHair from provincial town in Jut-
land.
The attempt to depose King Chris
tlau failed But the revolution was
duly carried through, as it was in
stockholm. Denmark had already as
much democracy as was conceivable
Her upper chamber question was
solved on progressive lines in 1915:
and only last October Premier Fable
declared that King Christian should
lose his present small say in the ques-
non of war OF peace, But the revolu-
tionary fame that started at Berlin
could not be stayed, and to prevent q
FRESH boishevik revolt the moderate
sociallstists interviewed. This is the
party of Staining, which has so far
supported the Zahle cabinet, Staun-
ing insisted upon reforms and he
thrust under Zahle's nose a demand
for the eight hour day. for the prac-
tical abolition of the army and razing
OF EopenhaGens defenses and for vet
one more reform of the constitution.
and Zahie agre ed. Staining entered
the ministry of the interior charged
with pressing the reforms. The chief
agitation weapons were taken cut of
the bolshevlks' hands, and the throne
was saved for o day
Whlte these two revolutions were
proceeding, happy and helpless King
Haakon, in Christiania, smiled. In
Norway there are practically no mod
crate socialists BoIsheVism donai-
mates the official socialist party and
sits supreme In the socialist head
quarters, the Peoples House." The
bolsheviks. OF course demanded
Haakon's overthrow; and. of course,
also, the formation of soldiers and
Workmen's councils. which would hold
all power. But the fact that all Nor
wegian socialists are bolsheyi1
frightened all Norwegians who were
not socialists; and as the result they
turned out solidly at the autumn gem
eral election and voted for the con-
servatives. Gunnar Knudsen's cabi-
net which was radical and had been
running for years state socialistic
policy, was beaten and overthrown.
ana a counter revolution Jealous for
Kings. kingcraft, prerogatives and
picturesque but useless medievalism
was carried triumphantly through.
Which confirms what Premier Cum
mar knudsen himself said two wears
PACK. Too much socialist extremism
IS its own cure" In Sweden and
Denmark, where bolshevism is nu-
merically insignificant, it carried
through a revolution; In Norway.
where 1T is unchallenged, it forced q
counter revolution, and made a king
probably the safest king in Europe.
But 1t is dangerous to predict. On
the day this is written comes the
news that soldiers councils have al.
ready been started in Christiania.
Copyright, 1912