THE KING WHO “SACKED THE LOT.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 June 1920, Page 4

THE KING WHO “SACKED THE LOT.

‘‘The first real citizen King wo have over had in Denmark’ ’ is how a Danish loader onco described King Christian X., whose action in summarily dismissing his Cabinet is causing such excitement in the little State of Denmark.

Like alj his family, the tall, broadshouldered monarch, now in his OOtli year, is most democratic in his manner, walking, like liis father and grandfather before him, about the streets of Copenhagen unattended and accessible to the poorest of his subjects. The good people of Copenhagen can remember when, as a private in the Danish Guards (who wear the bearskin cap as do our own Guards), their present King went on sentry duty outside his grandfather’s palace. All through his life King Christian lias been simple and unaffected in his intercourse with his subjects, keeping himself well posted in the topics of the day and ever striving to further the interests of liis country and liis people. , A democrat among a democratic people, M. Zaiile, whom the King has now dismissed from office, is a rugged, determined Radical politician, to whose credit must lie laid the feat. oi hay ing steered Denmark successfully through the amnifold perils ol' the groat war. Ho has held office since 1913, his resignation in 1919 over economic questions having been refused by the King owing to the inability of the other parties to secure a majority in Parliament. On assuming office M. Zahle and the members of bis Ministry announced that they would refuse to wear uniform or decoration, while Mine. Zable, the Premier’s wife, who was one oi the parliamentary shorthand writers, continued her official duties but,gave her salary, of about £lO5 a. year to the Shorthand Writers’ Union.

The crisis in Denmark has undoubtedly been precipitated by the outcome of the plebiscite in the Second, or Southern, Zone of Slesvig. The Peace Conference in Paris decided that Slesvig, brutally torn from Denmark by Prussia after crushing Denmark in the war of 1861, should be divided’into three zones..

In the first tyvo a plebiscite was ordered to decide whether the region should revert to Denmark or remain German. The polling in the First Zone gave Northern Slosvig back to Denmark but in the Southern Zone, which includes the important port of Flensborg, the voting went in favour of Germany, to the intense mortification of the Danish people. The effect of the plebiscte has been to give the nortliorn sea coast of Slesviir back to the Danes and the southern to the Germans.

Germany has now put forward a claim to include in the Southern Zone certain German speaking parts of Northern Slesvig. The Danes of Slesvig, supported by the Nationalists in Denmark, are clamouring for the internationalisation of Flensborg to prevent the victimisation of the Danes of Flensborg by flic Prussians. ’Hie allegation against the Zable Cabinet on the part of a strong section of Danish public opinion is that it has been supine in supporting the Nationalist claims. _ ' King Christian has hitherto kept himself scrupulously aloof from politics. He is heart and soul a soldier, a notable athlete, and good at all outdoor sports. Those who know his intensely patriotic, loyal nature can, without pass ing judgment on his action, understand liis deffire to act in what he considers are the best interests of his country even at. the risk of provoking a. constitutional crisis.