DAGGER-STROKE v. DIPLOMACY. (Cassell's Saturday Journal.)

Otago Witness, Issue 2523, 23 July 1902, Page 73

DAGGER-STROKE v. DIPLOMACY. (Casse ll's Saturday Journal.)

In Servia tLe biiefest revolution on record took place recently. At 4in the early grey of morning "a small boat containing four conspirators arrived at a certain spot on a river's bank close to the frontier. The four landed, and one arrayed himself in a magnificent inilitaiy officer's uniform. 'Men. I am a Heivian general. Follow me!"' tlie frontier guaids were boldly ordered. They obeyed ; ftie party marched to the Custom House, and there the Treasury Guard, similarly imposed upon, added itself to (he ranks. "Now to the Town Hall !" At the Town Hall were many firemen. .Some at once rallied to the new banner ; others lcfused The "general" made an impassioned speech, )>ut still a number of his heaieis held our. "Get ready! Fire!" came the command, and the obstinate ones dropped. Truly the revolution was in full swing! '"The Gendarmes!" Their headquaiters ■were reached, the place surrounded, and the men directed to fall into line with the others. A few did so ; others derided the order. Again came the ominous "(ret ready!" But two of the gendarmes had managed to escape from a window, and a minute later their captain, revolver in Land, strode up. "Who are your" be cried, and a bullet answered him, being, however, turned aside by striking his pocket-book. Instantly he returned the fire, and the "general" fell, mortally wounded. Their leader gone, his followeis laid down their arms. The lising was 'quelled, and tlie captain's shot saved probably hundreds of lives and much diplomatic complication. '"There are times," once declared a famous Minister, "when a fetroke of the dagger is worth more than all diplomacy. " Dagger-stroke or pistol shot, desperate expedients though they be, have before now, in special circumstances, and when administered precisely at the critical moment, sometimes relieved the world of much trouble. Methods to be. of course, stiongly deprecated, they have yet on occasion averted worse disasters. Eastern Eiuope to-day contains whole provinces that owe their dearly-cherished wild freedom to (he tierce stab of some political assassin or the &ure aim of the very thorough -going "patriot." In Montenegro, for instance, children are told of the valour of one daring chieftain who hid for ten days in a tree in order to shoot an official who was to pass by on his way to sign t tieaty handing that district over to another country. The official fell, shot through the temple ; and the statesmen of the threatened land were, by the treaty never being concluded, relieved of the re«ponsibilitv of having to advise their people, ah- a. last lesource, to fight for independence.

"If we can manage to slay tLeir Goveinor here, the TuiLs will be in fear, and the Mussulman movement be checked.' was the sentiment that prevailed in another part of the near East wheie, at that period. the presence of the Crescent was a sign foi liar A noted bngand undcitook the ta&k At night time he entered the doomed Governor's hou«e : stole pact the drowsy guards, and a.s his sleeping victim gave one cry. plunged a jagged dagger into bl\ heart Escape from the giounds being impossible, the assassin buiied himself in a heap of freshly-made, cement being used i' •07 bvuldiufi «. uew KU3j.dJiquse. biewumg I

1 through a stiaw veld between his lips. When the search relaxed, friends smuggled him away, it is said with his hair burned off by the lime in the composition that had concealed him. Forced thus to recognise the untamable spirit of the people-, the next Governor appointed was a man who they themselves were willing should rule them. In that same restless quarter of the globe a rascally but powerful chief, who had behind him all the ruffians -tnd /swashbucklers in the land, till recently held sway. . Faction fights Lad beer going en for years between the Macedonians and the Turks, and statesmen on both sides were literally at their wits' end as to what to do, when the difficulty was simplj" solved for them. Someone nursing a grudge against the chief shot him, and his party, having thus lost its leader, ha.s at last settled down for a spell of that peace that no amount of statecraft could ever have brought about. India can tell of much history made in the same violent waj'. A mighty Kb. in arrived at a conquered town to append his signature to a measure detested by the people. Shrewd councillors, foreseeing much trouble ahead, advised him not to promulgate the decree, but the Khan was limt upon having hi« own way. That very ni^ht a band of feaile.«« Mahrattas, disguised as beggars, entered tlie place, and one of them leapt upon the Khan as he lay in bed, cut off hi.% right hand, and escaped. For some days the Khan was ill, but when he recovered, taught a terrible lesson, he consented to change his mind. The knife had prevailed wheie diplomacy 2>leaded in vain. Actuated by such fierce political motives, the men who perform the ccc c deeds sometimes adopt expedients of most daring ingenuity. Once, when trouble had arisen in the Deccan. and rival parties, through their accredited spokesman, had failed to come to terms, a bold tnbesman resolved to himself end the matter to the advantage of his compatriots. He wouM slay the Pietender who had arisen. Outs-ide the fort wherein that Pretender lived in j presumed safety, the man looked up at the Ligh walls almost in despair Then he caught a great luaid ot a cert 1111 kind common there. He tied a rope to it« body, and flung the creature over th*> paiapet. On the other side the big lizard clung &o cicely to tiie wall that, knife between teeth, the man was able to climb the rope. Up slabbed the Pietender dead : thu-- cuttine; Ihe Goidian knot that diplomacy had failed to unt:e. and. be it -whispered, also en-ning tLe «ociet giatitude of ourselves In come hot-headed communities the knife may be regarded a? being quite part of the political machine. In one district of a certain South American State a native was boasting that in so many years they kid had to many local Governor?. And of tlie last nine, seven had met death by the dagger. The comment was made, '"Two were more lucky, then !" "I don't know."' returned the native thoughtfully. "We're handier with the knife here, so I'd as soon be stabbed as shot."