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i9r4] RIKSDAG OF NATIONAL DEFENCE 279
a political conversation with Count Rantzau there, where
he was always in close touch with his Russian colleague,
Baron de Buxhoeveden, would have been an indelicate
proceeding on my part with regard to the latter. I have,
however, good reason to believe that the sentiments and
opinions expressed to me by Count Rantzau were not
factitious. As a diplomat in high favour at his Court, he
must at this time have known many things which only
revealed themselves two months later to the rest of the
world, and I know from a fairly reliable source that the
apprehensions of the German diplomat, who had never
lacked intelligence, were absolutely sincere.
A less formal dinner to the Russian section closed
the series of festivities. In the toast which I proposed
to the absent King and to the Royal couple presiding at
the dinner, I strove to make the thoroughly friendly and
sympathetic sentiments which animated Russia towards
all the Scandinavian countries—her Baltic neighbours—
stand out very clearly, and I expressed a wish for the
development of close commercial and industrial relations
between my country and Sweden. The Stockholm Press
quoted and approved of this toast, and I had a general
impression that the Swedes who came to Malmo for the
inauguration of the exhibition had gone away less scared
with regard to Russia than they had been on their
arrival.
Towards the end of May, the Riksdag of" the National
Defence " assembled in Stockholm. The ceremony of
the opening took place as usual in the grand hall of the
Royal Castle and with the usual pomp. The King
insisted on opening this parliament himself, although
judging by his looks, his walk and his voice, he was still
suffering from the effects of the terrible illness and of
the operation he had recently undergone.
" Gode Herrar och Svensk Man";1 he began his
speech from the Throne, according to established
custom ; and I remember the impression that this
1 " Good Lords and Men of Sweden."
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