SOMETHING ABOUT THE NEW KINGDOM OF JUGO SLAVIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 3619, 24 July 1923, Page 55

SOMETHING ABOUT THE NEW KINGDOM OF JUGO SLAVIA.

A little while back I gave some account of the New Baltic States, all republics, which, in accordance with the national aspirations ol the people, have been separated front the former Bussian 'Empire. The great war has brought changes in the Balkan regions even more extensive and momentous than the -rise of the four northern Baltic States. Compare a map of Central and Southeastern Europe showing the countries as they were constituted up to 1914 with one made in accordance with the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles. On the latter, the great empire of Austria is represented by a small area wiui Vienna towards its northeastern corner, the new Hungary, of somewhat bigger dimensions, is very much smaller than the enlarged Roumania which hag grown at its expense. And the name of Servia, or Serbia, has disappeared front the map, gftfng place to “Jugoslavia/’ the title of the greater Servia which unites to old Servia what was the little kingdom of Montenegro and very extensive provinces of the late Austrian Empire. The meaning of “Jug” is south, so “Jugo-Slavia'’ is the country of the Southern f*lavs. The much-abused treaty of Versailles did with much painstaking attempt to reconstitute the waraffected territories in accordance with national aspirations, and with this aim, constituted the three great- new Slavpeopled states —the revived nation of Roland, Czecho-Slovakia. which includes Bohemia and neighbouring Slav-peopled territory that was formerly Austrian, and Jugo-Slavia. While all the northern Slavs have adopted republican forms of government, Jugo-Slavia continues the late Servian monarchy. under King Alexander 11, son of King Peter who wore the Servian crown during the stormy years from the assassination of King Alexander I and his Queen through the wars with Turkey and Bulgaria, and the terrible years of the Great War. A writer in “Headway” in an account of the new kingdom compares the union of the Southern Slavs under the headship of Servia, with that of the Italian provinces under the sovereignty of the King of Piedmont (Victor Emanuel) in the middle of last century. He notes as a co incidence that in both cases eight distinct units went to make up the new kingdom. United Italy comprised, Piedmont, Lombardy, Venetia, Parma, Modena, Tuscany, the Papal States, and the kingdom of Naples and Sicily. Jugoslavia unites the previously independentkingdoms of Servia and Montenegro with Bosnia-Herzegovina. Croatia, Slovenia, Dalmatia—all previously under Austrian rule the Banat-and-Aat-chka, previously included in Hungary and Macedonia", v hicli Servia conquered from the Tunes in 1912. While the territories incorporated from the Austrian Empire ate Slav as regards the bulk of their population they and the Servians have some distinctions. The Serbs and Croats speak essentially the same language, with only some difference of dialect, but in writing, the Serbians use letters resembling the Russian, while the Croatians use the letters of Western Europe. The Slovenes speak a distinct language, but resembling the Serbo-Croat language as Norwegian resembles Danish. In religion the new kingdom is mainly divided between the Orthodox (Greek and Russian) form of Christianity, to which the Serbs belong, and the Roman Catholic which numbers the Croats and Slovenes. In BoeniaHerzego vina there are about 600,000 Moslems. In Macedonia there wilj he both Orthodox and Moslem adherents, the former predominating. ’I hough the Serbians are less cultured than the lately Austrian Croats and Slovenes, they represent the backbone of the new State. They are a virile and industrious race. Under Turkish domination the old Servian nobility were exterminated, and the Serbians who after a hard struggle won practical independence early last century were a race of peasants. Their leader. Black George, great-grandfather of the present king, was himself of peasant origin. But before the Turkish invasion of Europe, Servia was an extensive and powerful monarchy, and memories of ancient national glories have been cherished by the Servians through hug centuries of oppression and struggle Stephen Dusban, contemporarv with Edward 111 of England, raised the

Servian power to its height. He was a great warrior, and consequently has been a national hero, though by no means an admirable one, since he is said to have had his father murdered. He warred against the Greeks (then reigning at Constantinople) and the Bulgarians; conquered Macedonia, and had himself crowned Emperor of Servia. He aimed at conquering Constantinople, seizing the Greek crown and driving out the Turks, who had already acquired a footing in Greek territory. Could he have carried out his ambitions the enormous calamity of Turkish rule in Europe might have been prevented, but his plans were cut short- bv his death in 1556. A little more than 30 years later Servian power was totally destroyed at the fatal--battle of Kosovo, fought against the Turks, and Servia became a Turkish province. This great- calamity is the subject of numerous national songs celebrating the valour and self-devotion of Servian leaders, and mourning the vanished national glories. Servia is rich in ballad poetry, bearing a. strong resemblance to the old poetry of the Scotch border. With much savagery the Servian national poetry also shows high idealism and domestic tenderness, shown particularly in references to the Servian mother. Ser\ ian history sufficiently accounts for the backwardness of the people compared to the _ peoples of Western Europe, and for their readiness to resort to force and treachery to remedy public or private grievances. The assassination of Alexander and his wife, Draga, with circumstances of special brutality shocked Europe, and it was some time before King Peter, who came t-o the throne a-s a result of this assassination, was internationally recognised. Much, too, was heard of atrocities committed during the wais of 1912-13, charged by various accusers to all the nationalities engaged in the conflicts. But the courage and hardihood of the Servians have been ample shown, and those who know them best have much besides of good to say of them. It. is only fair to recognise the very substantial national progress made from the time of Servian liberation up to the Great War. It was Servia that was the occasion of the outbreak of the great conflict, which had been slowly brewing for a generation. And no country suffered more than Servia, already weakened by her two wars against Turkey and her late associate Bulgaria. The western powers could aid her little; she was soon overrun and wasted. Mampeople will recall stories that reached . us of the horrors of the flight of her remnant of an army with accompanying refugees over the snow-covered mountains to the coast. And we may remember, too. some tidings that reached us of the devoted work of the Red-cross and volunteer English nurses on behalf of the Servian sick and wounded. .The new State is faced with many difficulties. There is the poverty, wastage and economic disorganisation resulting from the years of war, and there are the difficulties arising from the differences between the component members of the nation. There are jealousies and many oecasions of friction to prevent- harmonious co-operation among these; there is the very great inequality of social development and culture. “Half a dozen centuries jostle side by side, from the dark ages which still hang heavily over Macedonia, to the three capitals, Belgrade, Zagreb, and Ljubljana (Laibach) which really belong to the twentieth century.” Happily there is next to no religious intolerance. * And the predominant Servian and Croat races are so closely allied and so generally intermingled that in spite ot some variance, separation seems out of the question. The union of the Southern Slavs will enable each division to develop itself to best advantage. Jugo-Slavia is likely to endure, and we may hope to make rapid progress. There is the foundation of a hardy, laborious, peasant proprietary; there is much natural wealth; much talent of various kinds throughout the newly formed State. The people generally are eager for education, though so far this is backward in Servia proper. The Croats and Slovenes have worked energetically to educate their ’ people highly, seeing in national education the best defence against the domination of their German and Austrian neighbours. Bosnia-Herzegovina, again, is, less advanced educationally; Austria during her forty years of practical ownership built only 300 elementary schools. The sense of common Slavic brotherhood, the strength and

patriotism of the Servian people will be powerful to reconcile difficulties and to ret the new nation on the path of national progress.