Evening star., 1943-05-09

The generals troops theoretically are
not in Denmark as an occupying force.
They are there to protect the country.
Hitler never has abandoned the fiction
that this little nation is a voluntary
member of the new order. These troops
consist, for the most part, of divisions
brought back from the Russian front for
rest. Of late they have been greatly
increased
Three months ago T2-year-old Chris
tan the Tenth long known as Europe's
most democratic monarch, was thrown
by his favorite horse Jubilee while on
his morning ride through Copenhagen
park.
For several weeks the elderly king was
at deaths door He was riding alone
at the time of the accident. An old
woman in a neighboring store was the
only witness. She wiped the blood from
the unconscious mans face and called
an ambulance. Several ribs were broken.
Pneumonia set in and Christians life
was saved by the newly introduced drug,
sulfapyridine. There is something quite
mysterious about the accident, Danes
here say. Jubilee had been the Kings
mount for years. The horse was about
as well known in the Danish capital as
the monarch himself. 1t is suspected
that small boy, hired by Best, was
hidden in a clump of bushes and hit
Jubilee on the flank with stone from
a sling shot. The Germans. say the
Kings subjects in London, would not re-
gret the death Of Christian.
Crown Prince Takes Over.
But, according to the latest reports
from Copenhagen, the monarch still is
bed-ridden. He has large blood clot
or one foot. He has turned over the
burdens of Office for the time being to
43year-old Crown Prince Frederick, a
tall, exceptionally good looking man Who
appears to share all the democratic ten
dencies of his father. He and Crown
Princess Ingrid, cousin of the late Queen
Astrid of Belgium, are very popular.
Danes here cannot believe that Fred
erick would be easier for the Nazis to
deal with than his father.
The old man. say his refugee compa-
tIiots who remain intensely loyal to him,
has been a pain in the neck to Hitler.
Der Fuehrer sent Christian a telegram
Of congratulation on MS 12nd birthday
last September. The King made formal
reply, precisely the same as his acknowl-
edgment of thousands of similar mes
sages. The Nazi chief was in a black
mood that day. The first Russian re-
verses were being reported.
This is the way one acknowledges the
receipt of consignment of merchan-
disc" he said.
The German foreign Office refused to
receive the Danish Minister. The rela-
lively decent Nazi Minister to Copen-
hagen, Won Renthe -Finck, was recalled
and succeeded by the sleek, slick Dr. Best.
Danes Temporize.
The present Scavenius government,
which includes representatives of the
four chief political parties, is the result.
1t commands majority in Parliament
but, say Danes here, by no means can
be considered free choice of the people.
1t is endured because an apparent ma
jority prefers it to letting the government
slip out of Danish hands altogether.
They know that if it is overthrown it
will be succeeded by a German "reichs-
kommissar most probably the greatly
diSliked Best.
Here is one probably apocryphal story
brought from Denmark by the refugees:
King Christian, it seems, passed gov
ernment building where the Danish flag