THE SERVIAN REVQLT.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 10973, 12 June 1903, Page 4

THE SERVIAN REVQLT.

History has a curious way of repeating itself in the Balkans, and the, tragic scene which to-day's , cables announoe — the assassination of the King and • Queen of ■ Servia and sever afc^Ministers^ of 1 the 'Crown — bears some analcjgy to .other sensational .revolts which have occurred in-.-the small. European States -at different stages' of the' world's history* Sdrvja was formerly* 'fin autonomous' province, of "Turkey^but^ist now a kingdom.^ ,The executive, power iwis'' bythe Cbnstitution of 18§,9, vested in the King, and the legislative in the Sing jointly with the National Assembly. This Constitution was; however," abrogated bythe King in 1894/ but a "new Constitution was', promulgated in 1901. The three political parties in the country -are the Radicals, the Liberals, and the Progressives. The; two former/ which include the bulk of the. peasants, look to Russia for guidance, . and the latter seek Austrian support. -The army, which our cables state has headed the revolt, numbers 19.Q00 men on a peace footing-, but on a war footing includes a , fi&d . force of , 77,000 men dnd' other troops, which bring the total of ;the war footing to pver

170,000 men. The country has bee» in- a state' of dissension and turmoil for the last thirty years, and if ever the old adage 1 we^e true — "Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown"— it is in the case of the reigning sovereign, in Seryia, for what;* with secret plots amongst hi& . own countrymen and threatened dansrers- wit-K adjoining turbulent States, the lot'of •'tho ( King of Servia is far 'from, a happy dne. In 1889 King Milan abdicated the tliroie in favour, of his son Alexander %. y yrbd

when i' CtctwtL Prince accompanied lus mother Queen Natalie into exile, after her separation from the-King^but was,-forcib,ijr removed irom her at Berlin* *nfl ; fcdftveyed - bittJk' to -\ Belgrade.. His^ Carriage ' V^ifi'V Mine- Dragfa Maschin, formerly "a lady-in-waiting to his mother, .scarcely three, years tj a'g^'wa^ Very unpopular .and against' sjt~ „, wisiies of his advisers', and : evidently thlao step; of histjis mainly respdasibleJ for the -«• tkgedy now reported. The King "in the rfollowing 1 " 'year was largely instrumental in promulgating 1 a new'Constituti'On, WhicV w^is another unpopular move; and' explains, the reference 'in. our, cable 'message to . tfe. - ° fact that 1 the new Premier has announe'eef *that ,the Constitution of 1901 has been restored. Racial animosities and jealousies \ have .been the dominant characteristics Jbt \ the Balkan States, -and- will continue, to, W | until the mass of hostile communities pin. ~ be welded into one coherent whole. 'TfartH' this consummation -is reached the Balkans muct remain a ' prey ' ,to turbuleriee» , intrigue, and ' ill-suppressed hostilities^ The present revolt appears to ;have Ai{ particular significance outside Servia, and seems to have been the result of' growing dislike to the King and', his skcHonk, though it is somewhat significant that - under his rule Servia- lias- suffered ) lew froni civil dissensions than previously. Ai