KING OF SWEDEN

Evening Star, Issue 23000, 4 July 1938, Page 6

KING OF SWEDEN

A MEMORABLE REIGN Wellwishers all over the world will rejoice that King Gustav V. of Sweden, who celebrated his birthday on June 6 last, has reached the age of 80 years in splendid mental and bodily health. He has always been a keen sportsman, and, as is well known, ho is an excellent tennis player (says the ‘ Sydney Morning Herald ’). As King Gustav receives the congratulations of his people, he will be able to reflect on the fruits of the endless labours of his long reign. It began with the Swedish-Norwegian quarrel, and under the threat of constitutional and social troubles. To-day he sees Scandinavian co-operation growing more intimate; constitutional quarrels are over and even Socialists are monarchists; social problems are in process of being solved, and the slogan of the class war is fading into the background. The first King of the present Royal House of Sweden, Karl Johan, was Napoleon’s Marshal Bernadotte, who was elected Hereditary Prince of Sweden in 1810, when the last King of_ the House of Vasa died, leaving no issue. When Oscar Gustaf Adolf was born in the summer of 1858 as the eldest son of the then Duke and Duchess of Ostorgotland, the Bernadotte dynasty was still relatively young. In 1872 Prince Gustaf became Crown Prince of Sweden and Norway, but not until 35 years later—in 1907—did he ascend the Swedish Throne.

During his many years as Crown Prince monarchial Europe was still strong and powerful. On the Continent the German Empire was dominant, and it was within the German Empire that Prince Gustaf sought his bride. In 1881 he was married to the Princess Victoria of Baden, who died in 1930. Subsequently the Swedish Royal Family became united to foreign dynasties in other ways. King Gustaf’s eldest son, Prince Gustaf Adolf, was married in 1905 to the English Princess Margaret, daughter of the Duke of Connaught, the brother of King Edward VII. Three years later his second son, Prince Wilhelm, was married to the Princess Maria of _ Russia. King Gustaf’s brother, Prince Carl, had, moreover, in 1897 married the Princess Ingeborg of Denmark.

Owing to the delicate health of his father, Oscar 11., King Gustaf while Crown Prince took an active part in the government of the realm, especially during the critical year 1905, when Norway broke away from the union with Sweden. The conduct of the King and the Crown Prince on this occasion contributed strongly to a peaceful settlement, and the final dissolution of the union was carried out in a _ way that has led to lasting friendship and increased confidence between the two peoples. DEMOCRATIC MONARCH. On his accession in 1907, King Gustaf showed that he had mastered the problems of the day and understood the change in the position of the Monarchy which had taken place as a result of the advance of democracy. The King did away with much of the pageantry of State occasions, dispensing, in fact, with the Coronation ceremony, and introduced, by way of setting a good .example, greater simplicity in his daily life. He was not, however, spared great difficulties ■ during the internal political conflicts which naturally occurred during such a time of political transition. Party political struggles became more and more intense during the years prior to the Great War, and in 1911, when a Liberal Ministry was in office, there was a difference of opinion, between the Monarch and his Cabinet on the question of defence preparations. The parties of the Left demanded radical social reform and a reduction of defence burdens; the Conservatives in the light of the international position, stood for strengthened defences. The differences of opinion dragged on until finally in February, 1914, there was a “ peasants’ demonstration ” —an extra-Parliamentary move for strengthened defences. King Gustaf made a celebrated speech to the peasants in the courtyard of his palace. There was soon a Ministerial crisis, and, after a new election to the Risksdag had taken place in the autumn, after the Great War had already started, the way was paved for the military preparation of the nation. The decision to work for _ preparedness undoubtedly resulted in an increased respect for Sweden’s neutrality on the part of the combatant Powers. Whatever history’s verdict may be upon King Gustaf’s attitude *to the defence question there is full* agreement that he acted from very deep and sincere motives. During the Great War, King Gustaf played an important part, especially in safeguarding the position of the three Scandinavian Kingdoms. In December, 1914, he invited the Kings_ of Denmark and Norway, and their Prime Ministers and Foreign Ministers, to a meeting in Malma. At this meeting a common policy of neutrality and mutual economic assistance was inaugurated, which was continued and strengthened as the strain caused by the war increased. Thus, during the later stages of the war, the three Northern Kingdoms formed practically a single area of production, with free exchange of commodities. This co-operation is now being continued in defensive measures in the light of new dangers by Norway and Sweden, and, to a lesser extent, by Denmark. In the economic sphere, the convention of the so-called Oslo Powers, with the objective of the freeing of trade among the signatories, has set an example to the world. COLLABORATION WITH MINISTERS. Under King Gustaf, Sweden has made great strides in democratic government and social reform. The present Constitution is based upon pnnciples of popular self-government, political freedom, and equality. But the collaboration of the King m the Cabinet councils is still important. It is a tribute to King Gustaf and to the statesmen of Sweden that they have been able to agree, within the framework of the new democratic system, upon a successful co-operation, based on mutual trust. The genuine and solid nature of this royal collaboration in the administration of the Swedish community is widely recognised. Not the least reason for its success has been King Gustaf’s simple modesty and conscientiousness—qualities that he has in common with his son and collaborator, the Crown Prince Gustav Adolf, and other members of the Royal House, who have taken their share of the burdens of social work. In a very special way King Gustaf has become the link between the old and the new in Sweden. He maintains the distinguished traditions of the Swedish Kingdom with dignity and simplicity, but, as the people’s King, he has also a true un-

LDHG RECORD IN CONCILIATION Czechoslovakia, defending one of the last outposts of democracy in Centra* Europe, to-day finds its policies dependent upon the compact group of statesmen whose ideals are an important influence in the present international crisis (says the ‘ Christian Science Monitor ’). Foremost in this group are such men as President Eduard Benes, Foreign Minister Kamil Krofta, and Premier Hodza. Theirs is the heritage or the founder and first President of the State, Dr Thomas Garrigue Masaryk, whose prodigious diplomatic ability won recognition at the Paris Peaces Conference ; and whose experience and foresight portended a cultural,' religious, and administrative freedom for his long-op-pressed people. _ At present engaged l in ameliorating relations between his Government and the Sudeten German minority group. Dr Hodza has assumed a significant Recent overtures of (Reichsmuhrer Hitler to defend the rights _ of the 3,500,000 Germans living within Czech borders have not only presented a grave threat to Czech independence, but have created an awareness among the Sudetens, perhaps now more than ever, of the projected influence of the Third Reich. THE CHOICE BEFORE HENLEIN. Andl this had not simplified Dr Hodza’s task of convincing the Sudeten Party leader, Konrad Henlein, that ha would do better to remain under Czech enjoy a certain amount of political, cultural, and educational freedom which might be denied by another country. Although Dr Hodza has undoubtedly; met one of the hardest minority problems in his experience, his long record in handling minority claims marks nun as thoroughly capable of representing his Government in the present negotiations. . „ ■ * His inherent interest in the problem* of his native Slovakia—then a minority group under the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and now a minority group under the Czech Govermnment —have _no doubt fostered his desire to see just treatment meted out to the other nationals left within Czech boundaries by the Peace Treaties. His first steps m embracing a political and journalistic career were guided by his determination to fight for the emancipation, of his native people from Hungarian domination. FAVOURS DANUBIAN FEDERATION. But his experience has not been limited to minority problems,- for Dr Hodza has been rightly called a “ Central European.” This appellation has grown from his desire to see_ the Danubian countries united as a single economic bloc—evidenced in his recent plan for a Danubian Federation. It is . an ideal to which his background and education contribute. The son of a Protestant minister,he was born in Sucany, a village of mountainous Gen- , tral Slovakia. * For reasons of political persecution he had to leave Slovakia* ■ and finished his studies in. Transylvania. In 1900 he began his journalist!** career, and founded a daily —‘ Slovensky Denik ’ —which was followed in 1903 by his famous weekly, ‘ Slovensky .. Tyzderiik,’"a most influential Slovak.-, paper before the World War. • • • At the time when 2,000,000 Slovaks had not a single representative in the Magyar Parliament, he was elected deputy with the help of the now Serbian Banat in the south of Hungary. Thus began his political career* which, with the background of an education in law, philosophy, and journalism, has carried him successfully through 16 years in the Prague Cabinet, and a little over two years as Prime Minister. Two courses of policy- marked Dir Hodza’s relationship with Masaryk; his desire to unify the Czech and Slovak peoples and his determined stand to keep the tidal - wave of Fascism from sweeping through his little country and destroying the work of such men as Komensky, Palacky, and Hus. In Slovakia Dr Hodza is known as the first one to come to the top in. the Slovak movement; in Bohemia his name is a symbol of the unity of the Czechs and Slovaks. But to both factions , he is the leader of a movement to ‘defend the rights of a democratic people .—remnant of the once vast Bohemian empire. His preparations against to-day’s threat of alien investigation have been two-fold. On the one hand he has aided in building the country’s military machine to the point where it is one of the strongest among the smaller nations in Central Europe. On the other he has manoeuvred a series of diplomatic alliances which are designed ■ to assure armed assistance from neighbouring Powers. The Little Entente—grouping Czechoslovakia , Rumania, and Yugoslavia into a military and economic bloc originally designed to prevent the resurgence: of Hungarian power—was anteceded by his pre-war national minorities club. CAN SUDETENS BE APPEASED? And so with these measures to fall back on, the Czech people are to-day putting their faith in Dr Hodza to appease Sudeten minority demands, and avert possible interference from Germany. But it is a question whether increased rights would find the Sudeten* ready to accept Czech rule. Dr Hodza cannot grant autonomy to these Germans without jeopardising the entity of the State. Berlin control of the Sudeten areas would mean the relinquishment of Czechoslovakia’s richest industrial territory, and loss of • many Czech citizens, who are largely intermingled with the Germans.. Dr Hodza, in a speech on March 5,declared: “If we are to be faced by th# j necessity of defending ourselves,, Czechoslovakia will defend, defend, defend herself.” This in a few word* summed up his policy in regard to possible German absorption of the Sudeten Germans. , If negotiations with Germany can b# accomplished on equal terms, Dr Hodza prefers that course. But if that course fails, ho appears ready to fall back upon Czech military preparedness and collective security to preserve his country • independence. derstanding of the progress of the new developments in social reform. ■ Throughout his reign he has shown great acumen in his judgment of modern political conditions, with the result that the Monarchy in Sweden il to-day as firmly entrenched as at any time in its history.