DENMARK'S SCANDAL

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 301, 14 September 1908, Page 7

DENMARK'S SCANDAL

; ; A MINISTER'S FRAUDS. DEFALCATIONS ONE MILLION. •ARREST OF ALBERTI. • (BT TELEGBAPB—rRESS ASSOCIATION—COPXBIGHT.) ' ' ■ : " " Copenhagen, September 12. • The defalcations of M. P. A. Albcrti, exMinister'for Justice in Denmark, who was arrested on his own-confession for forgery and dofriwding the Zealand Peasant Savings Bank, of which he was. a director, total £1,000,000. A STRONG MAN FALLEN. . A- LONG RESISTANCE TO CRUSHING - : . charges; The politics of Denmark do not as a general rule make a great stir in the outside world, but*, the Alberti defalcations provide a scandal of .unUsual magnitude. M. Alberti was denounced in the press and in the Folkething asjipn'g ago as October last, and must have been a irian of strength and nervo and im-mense-influence to havo resisted as long as ho . ■ did'the indictment that was brought against himj.V The fact ,that he retained office so long • after ( b'e had been denounced is perhaps partly accounted- for by ,the difficulty of filling his place in tlio Danish political world. "Of all present) Ministers," wrote "The Times's" Copenhagen correspondent just after the exposure in .October, "none possesses a more striking;, personality or more undisputed authority, anfl, hife .influence might have'gone far to se- • «ure the'much-needed solution of the problems connected with the national defences of Den- ■ mtttk.-'-'When'M-. Alberti sooner or later dis-appears-from: the political stage the Left Reforfn party :will have none to fill his-place, and/' therefore, eyery effort is being made to • keep ;him invoffice, though, ill as .the Government icah spare him, it may lose even more by retaining him ,in the presence of - such charges ■ aK'have been.'brought against'him." > A ' A, r scathing indictment of M. Alberti was made Eplkething by M. P. J. Borgbjoerg, .a'.Socialist leader. The main charge concerned t a-big tijnber company, called after its founder the Oscar Koehler Company, which became, insolvent. A Danish paper published . an. article—one of a promised series—attacking the,company. The editor of this paper, it is alleged,: was indebted to M. Alberti because a sentence;'pf four months' imprisonment • foi / fniud,-'passed on the editor, had been continuously, postponed, by-two • years, through the omces-i.of H. Alberti as .Minister., for justice ; the: prttext for postponement of the sentence being, the, ill-health of accused, who was, howable to £arry on his editorial duties. .After article Nt>. 1 attacking the Oscar Koehler. Company had appeared, M. Alberti wroto ■, to:his friend the editor begging as a personal favour-that the publication of the . series be : stopped; which was done. The Socialist Borgbjoerg,produced this letter in the Polkethipg; ani-11>; Alberti-admitted its authorship. He declared that his only object;had been to shield, the' memory of 11. Oscar Koehler, who , hsd,. recently died, and who had .been bis in.tiraate "friend. The Socialists, on the other hand, alleged that M. •' Alberti had , unduly - favoured • the Oscar Koehler Company in the , matter of contracts, etc.. and asked for a Committee.of inquiry. Demoralised the-Nation. . was reported from Copenhagen after this indictment that "11. Alberti has not vet replied ■to ..the charges, and seems anxious to wait till the storm, has subsided." But the ; storm refused to subside.' In the Fplkething ' . M.-' Alljerti,. whose agrarian policy had the support of the peasant members, succeeded for ■: . in staying, off inquiry; His position, however, had been shaken beyond repair; ana not only, the. Socialist arid. Radical papers mo' ' , e Y, en ,' ,™« Conservative "Berlingske ildende declared .his attitude to be indefensible. M. Trier, formerly President of the ilouse; declared,that the administration of H. Alberti. as .Minister for Justice'had; "demoralised, Parliament and the nation." ' 'J'The least the Minister could do," wrote "The'Times's" correspondent in December last,'"was to de-' -. h e would bring'ad'-action against inv-traducers, bat he appears to be himself ■ obstructing - the- proceedings ' iimvhich. the deS'f a re bent npo r n justifying the language ' they; have, used concerning him. . . . ; The ■ "<■ existence of a serions crisis 'can no longer bo , . demed. - Yefcit has .taken nearly, a year .to ' 1 i?f- i. . light the enormous extent of the Minister s'defalcations, and to' carry the cul-' ~ prit to jretice. '