A FORGOTTEN CRIME

Evening Star, Issue 16559, 19 October 1917, Page 4

A FORGOTTEN CRIME

REGENT OF SERBIA RESTORES TO AUTHORITY MEN WHO WERE RETIRED BY MURDER CLIQUE. Fate has at last fallen on that band of military regicides who, some 15 years ago, broke into the Royal Palace at Belgrade at night and assassinated King Alexander and the Sorbian Queen, Draga. Three high officers havo recently been shot after military court martial. Three more are awaiting death sentence; seven officers (including a general) have received life sentences; and some 30 officers have received lesser sentences, of from one ,to five years. But while the outside world was shocked, the band of assassins enjoyed at home a certain immunity, and even glory, for having rid the country of a diseolute ruler and his plebeian Queen, for the name of Draga had been well known in the concert halls of Emolu before-she had the luck to win a king and crown. The plain people of Serbiaj who are simple and honest, revolted at ilio crime. But the army clique, which carried out the murders, carried the upper classes with them, and by terrorising and intrigue became one of the dominant forces of Serbia.

King Peter felt. the incubus of this murder clique through the early years of liis reign. He abhorred the crime, and had nothing to do with it. And yet the return of his family's dynasty to power and his kingship alter years of waiting in exile were dependent to some extent on the work of this army clique. While condemning their action, the King tolerated them, .the policy being to draw a veil over the crime and let it be forgotten. As a result, little has been heard of the crime in recent years. England sent back her Minister, and the Balkin wars gave Peter a firm hold on his people. All this time, however, the murder clique had been working. It was so powerful in the army councils that all officers who disapproved the crime were retired from active service and placed in the reserve. This went on for years, with the murder clique occupying the chief commands and all others excluded from service or advancement. Bui all this changed about a year ago, when the vigorous young Prince Alexander became Regent, owing to the age of King Peter and his infirmity from his terrible exposure in the exodus before the GermanBulgarian invasion of Serbia. Ono of Alexander's first acts was to restore to active service the great number of officers retired and disqualified by the murder clique. He declared that all army appointments and advancements would be impartial, without regard to the old line drawn between cliques. The regicide element deeply resented this action. They appealed to Alexander; oven suggesting that his Royal power resulted from their act. When Alexander was firm, the clique revived their watchword of the former murder: "Union of Death!" This time- their designs wero aimed at the Prince Regent, and a plot to assassinate him was to have been carried out on August 23 last. Fortunately, the plot was discovered, and wholesale arrests followed of all those officers who had so long enjoyed immunity and power by reason of the murder "of Alexander and Draga. More than 40 high officers were gathered in the net. Their trial by military court martial has been proceeding for months. Those condemned to death include Colonels Dimitrivitch, Milanovitch, Toutzovitch, Lazitch, Lieutenant-colonel Vesnitch, and Commander Vulovitch. General Popovitch heads ' the list of those condemned to life imprisonment. Tin others are colonels and captains who hav» been high in power until now. In the list are most of the band who carried cut the murder of Alexander and Queen Draa:a 15 years ago. Thus, after years of waiting, the European war has brouirht changes resulting in retribution for tho murder clique responsible for the historic extinction of the Obrenovitch dvnastv.