370 
THE AMERICAN-SC AN DIN AVIAN REVIEW 
Sweden 
If Ever since the Riksdag decided to introduce the referendum as an 
advisory element in the constitutional legislation of the country, it has 
been clear that the first question to be taken up for consideration in 
this manner would be that of prohibition. After a lengthy discussion 
and debate, the time was fixed for this summer, and by a scant majority 
it was decided that the poll of men and women should be taken sepa¬ 
rately. This is done because it is anticipated that the opposition to the 
measure will come entirely from the ranks of the men, and it is consid¬ 
ered important, in order to throw light on the subject from all sides, 
to know exactly what proportion of the male population is in favor of 
prohibition and what proportion is against it. The new Town Hall, 
the magnificent creation by Ragnar Ostberg, which has been under con¬ 
struction since 1911, and which is probably the largest building that has 
gone up in Europe in the last decade, is now gradually being taken 
into use. One after another, the departments of the city have moved 
into their new quarters. On April 1 the fathers of the city, the one 
hundred members of the Municipal Council, were able to take their 
new hall, the council chamber, into possession for the first time. There 
now remains, besides a few smaller rooms, only the final completion of 
the enormous congress and concert hall and the banquet room, the 
“golden hall.” It is the intention that the latter shall be completed 
next spring, after which the solemn dedication is to take place on Mid¬ 
summer Day, 1523, on the four hundredth anniversary of Gustaf Vasa’s 
entrance into Stockholm after his victory over the Danes. C| The old 
quarters of the Municipal Council, the so-called Exchange at Stor- 
torget, will now be taken over by the Swedish Academy. This august 
body, which, it will be remembered, is charged with the duty of dis¬ 
tributing the Nobel Prize for literature, has just now chosen the suc¬ 
cessors to the three of its members who have died recently, namely, 
Professor Montelius, President Afzelius, and Professor Hjarne. The 
choice fell on the following: the noted humorous editor and cartoonist, 
Albert Engstrom; the poet, dramatist, critic, and former chief of the 
Dramatic Theatre, Tor Hedberg; and the literary critic, Fredrik 
Book. While the choice of Tor Hedberg was greeted with unanimous 
approval, Fredrik Book has some opponents, none of whom, however, 
deny his ability, and as for Albert Engstrom it is generally conceded 
that, in spite of his great merits, he does not really belong in a circle so 
exclusive as that of “the Eighteen.” C| Sweden has in the past year 
organized a relief work in starving Russia which includes the daily 
feeding of 70,000 persons in the Samara district up to September, 1922. 
CJA reorganization of the street traffic which will to a great extent 
relieve congestion is made possible by the construction of new bridges 
effecting the junction of the two street car systems. 
