Sweden’s Monarch.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLII, Issue 19, 12 May 1909, Page 33

Sweden’s Monarch.

Not only i- King Gu-tav the onlv monarch who habitually wears glasses, but he is one of the few rulers in the v - rid who is a -oral abstainer. During his Crown Prin ely lays lid much by the force of his example to further the cause of temperance. On one occasion, during some manoeuvres, he invited a large number of young officers t • his tent to luncheon an.l placed p >mrii. a weak apple wine, and hot beef tea before them. It is said that the young fellows sniggered a lot when his back .as turn-. 1, but they drank of the fluids it: quantity an 1 entirely- to their own and their host’s satisfaction. A characteristic story is told f the King s way of meeting awkward questions. He was once asked what his opinion was of the .Socialists and the democratic movement generally. "Well.’’ hr answered, "in other countries I am quite inclined to Socialism and democratic ideas, but you can hardly blame me for feeling a little royalist in Sweden.” The motto which he assumed when he ascended the Throne was “With my people for the Fatherland.’’