SWEDEN: 50,000-Kronor Premier

In Parliament last spring Premier Carl Gustaf Ekman nodded approvingly when deputies called for "honesty, complete honesty" in cleaning house after Ivar Kreuger. Last week paunchy Premier Ekman, onetime Blacksmith, onetime editor, Grand Master of Sweden's prohibitionist Good Templars, found himself a victim of the honesty policy.

When Matchman Kreuger put a bullet through his heart last March, Sweden knew that he had been a contributor to Premier Ekman's People's party. Sweden did not know that a month earlier Ivar Kreuger had sent the Premier a personal check for 50,000 kroner from Manhattan. Ten days after that check was dated Premier Ekman had called a night session of the Riksdag, had forced through a 16,680,000-kronor appropriation for Swedish Match Co. and Kreuger & Toll. Recently Premier Ekman has been questioned again & again about entries after his name in the Kreuger notebooks. The 50,000-kronor check came to light but Premier Ekman denied having received it.

Last week Finance Minister Felix T. Hamrin and two other members of the Ekman cabinet wanted to see old King Gustaf V in a hurry. The King was due in Stockholm from Solliden Castle the next day, but they could not wait that long. They commandeered three naval hydro planes, arrived at the castle as the King was preparing to leave. The train waited while King & Ministers talked behind closed doors. Finally the King emerged, followed by his ministers, and all entrained for Stockholm. There King Gustaf an nounced he had "accepted" Premier Ek man's resignation, that Finance Minister Hamrin would act as Premier until the general elections next month. The announcement said that Premier Ekman had previously returned the 50.000 kronor to the Kreuger estate.