me measure
of success. The hope proved vain. April 18, 1910, the Folkething was
dissolved, and there followed another spirited campaign in which the
military question was preponderant. The Radical government, with its
Socialist allies, went before the country on a platform which proposed
the repeal of the defense measures passed during the previous (p. 568)
year. But at the elections of May 20 both Radicals and Social Democrats
obtained precisely the respective number of seats which they had
before possessed, while 69 deputies were returned by the groups which
were favorable to the execution of the contested measures. July 1, the
Zahle ministry resigned and was succeeded by a cabinet formed by Klaus
Berntsen, leader of the Moderate Left. The new ministry, although
drawn exclusively from the Left, was well received by the Conservatives,
who pledged it their continued support against the Radical-Socialist
coalition.[798]

[Footnote 798: The salient facts relating to the
political history of Denmark since 1870 may be
gleaned from the successive volumes of the _Annual
Register_. Works of importance dealing with the
subject include N. Neergaard, Danmarks Riges
Historie siden 1852 (Copenhagen, 1909); H. Holm,
Forligets foerste Rigsdagssamling 1894-1895
(Copenhagen, 1895), and Kampen om Ministeriet
Reedtz-Thott (Copenhagen, 1897); H. Barfod, Hans
Majestaet Kong Christian IX. (Copenhagen, 1888);
and A. Thorsoee, Kong Christian den Niende
(Copenhagen, 1905).]

V. THE JUDICIARY AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

*625. General Principles: the Courts.*--In the Danish constitution there
are laid down a number of general principles with respect to the
judicial branch of the government, but the organization of the courts
is left almost entirely to be regulated by law. It is stipulated that
judges, who are appointed by the crown, may not be dismissed except in
consequence of judicial sentence, nor transferred against their wishes
from one tribunal to another, unless in the event of a reorganization
of the courts;[799] that they shall exercise their functions strictly
in compliance with law; that in criminal cases and cases involving
political offenses trial shall be by jury; that in the administration
of justice t