Manawatu Daily Times Is Jugoslavia Winning Unity?

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 7143, 14 February 1930, Page 6

Manawatu Daily Times Is Jugoslavia Winning Unity?

Just a year ago the Dictatorship was established at Belgrade. For twelve months it has been pressing steadily toward its goal of bringing unity to Jugoslavia. That is the end for which it was created and the supi-eme task which the King always has in mind. There is encouragement in such historical examples as those of Italy and Germany, which within the last century have been transformed from collections of weak and often mutually hostile states into strong united kingdoms. The Government at Belgrade is convinced that the South Slavs also may be united. So King Alexander, having suppressed all opposition, is making laws and institutions and slogans which he hopes will bind the people in his kingdom together. How far has the Dictatorship achieved these ends in a year ? It has revised and unified the criminal code. It has made a single uniform system of taxation for the whole kingdom. A new school law has been promulgated making public instruction uniform and centralised. Relations between the state and the dominant church have been satisfactorily established. The country has been divided into nine large areas called banats, and the administration made more effective.. A unified system of spelling has been devised. A uniform alphabet and type of letters are to be adopted and one dialect made official. Old regional flags and names have been discarded, even prohibited. Further, the old way of thinking will be changed if possible. Old loyalties, it is hoped, will give place to a single new one. All organisations are to be brought under one source of control —all are to be Jugoslav. There must not be racial touring societies, athletic associations, cultural organisations, women’s federations—all must be Jugoslav and not Serb or Croat. In the effort to achieve all. this the most complete control is exercised. There is scarcely a vestige of personal freedom. Conformity and acquiescence are the supreme requirements. One will only is allowed to manifest itself, and that is the will of the King. But at least formally this Serbian King is eliminating Serbianfsm just as rigorously as Croatianism, The one and supreme emphasis is on Jugoslavia. These are heroic measures, but hardship may be borne for an ultimate good. It was not easy to unify Germany 01 Italy. However, in the present case two considerations must be kept in mind. One is that the suppression being exercised may cause an explosion. Some people are very much discontented. They say that existence is becoming intolerable, that such pressure cannot be endured. Under such conditions the result may be revolt instead of uniformity. The other consideration is that many of the racial groups in the country are apprehensive that the word Jugoslavia really means a Greater Serbia. The whole undertaking emanates from Belgrade, the Serbian capital. It is managed exclusively by Serbians The army, police force and diplomatic apparatus are in the hands of Serbs. Of course, certain Croats co-operate and others would be gladly received if they would co-operate, but it would have to be on Serbian terms and under Serbian domination. Many Croats are not willing to accept this subordinate Dosition. Those who were dissatisfied under the old regime are still more dissatisfied now. They do not consider that the King by his new methods has come any nearer to a solution than by his old methods. They say that, the whole Croat Nation is at heart in revolt. To this the Government replies that only a few old Croat patriots are dissatisfied, and those chiefly former politicians. It says that the Serbs and Croats are at heart one people, and that the new generation, raised without animosities and with a higher wider loyalty, will be absolutely free from separatist tendencies. So the Dictatorship hopes to hold the! old lebels back with one hand and push the youth forward with the other into acommon fathered where they will all be Jugoslav patriots. And it hopes to keep soft gloves on both hands.

The director will be at the Palmerston North Technical School to-night for the purpose of enrolling students for the evening classes. VISITING ATHLETES Peltzer, Lermond, Golding and Emton all use ELLIMAN’S EMBROCATION. Invigorating for. massage—it relieves all aches and pains. Use the Embrocation preferred by world’s champions* _

While the Borough Council’s waterworks’ foreman and employees were changing a half-inch maincock in Main street opposite the sub-way yesterday afternoon a column of water sprayed about 25 feet in the air and gave everything in the viciinity a drenching. The cause of the miniature geyser was the pressure of water left in the pipe after the supply had been cut off. The maincock being replaced had been in use for’2s years.