THE KING'S COUP D'ETAT.
SUSPENDING THE 1901 CONSTITUTION. INTERVIEW WITH TH(E KI;NG. "In April last, the Vienna correspondent &f the Lonilon "Daily Mail" interviewed King 1 - Alexander :—: — "The foreign press ignores the sericius situation or gives misleading versions," andlh. ; s Majesty spoke with sudden direckv*»ss, "regarding my re-, cent coup el'etat. This was simply a measure directed against the injurious influence of Radical party in my country: Such a step was necessary* as here it is juilike England, wherp the nation, places her confidence first.' on one siiJe and iJbcn on the other, tile party in power ruling justly and eqoii€ablyv In Servia the Radical party had obCaineci complete powet' o%*er the people, making the fair, elocti^^" of We-, r|uties_ of the other parti^ an impossibility, anid "Aerefore I had to replace tihe Constitution of 1901 to counteract this .very harmful condition of affairs-." As the King 1 rose to dismiss me I asked if it was true that the chief design 61 the coup d'etat was to settle on a Successor to [the throne, as stated in many papers. "It is" an infamous invention," answered the King hotly. \ "I am only 27 years old, and can still have mv ! natural heir. If not there is time 20 i [years hence to appoint an heir. Bedsides, if I chose an heir now it would lie a signal ' for .the, appearance of many Pretenders, of conspiracy arid iniH^uing. And moreover," said the King, again -smiling, "why should I choose an heir at 27?" whereupon he gave nurhis hand, bidding me awake interest in. England ' for feervia and ! the Balkans. , i \ His Majesty, whv> receiVecl me most | ; graciously, impressed me greatly by [his intelligent -grasp of the situation, j and also when speaking of Servian affairs I had no difficulty in recognising | in the present King the youth who j exactly 10 years ago in tihis very ] iftonth seWd the ■ throne for .hinisdf. ' |> in^prisoned the Regents anrl Ministers, i 1 and proclaimed himself King.
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Bibliographic details
Taranaki Herald, Volume L, Issue 12281, 13 June 1903, Page 5
Word Count
332THE KING'S COUP D'ETAT. Taranaki Herald, Volume L, Issue 12281, 13 June 1903, Page 5
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