Veljkovitch was so badly treated that he found himself obliged to tender his resignation. Naturally, the Socialists meet with even less consideration. When one of our comrades, Mika Spasoyevitch, town councillor, permitted himself last year in very moderate terms to criticize this policy of inaction, and demanded bread for the people, he was immediately arrested and interned in Hungary, although he was over seventy years of age. This intolerable state of affairs has been rendered even worse by the unscrupulous behaviors of the Austro-Hungarian authorities and their banks. Serbia is at present deprived of all economic life, everyone in the country lives entirely on help received from abroad.
People live on relief received from Switzerland and France, from relations and various charities.
Serbia is now almost forgotten by all. Twice only in 1916, did missions arrive in Belgrade, one a Swiss mission, and one an American, to distribute food and clothing among the inhabitants of Belgrade. The Austro-Hungarian banks and authorities, however, are so cruel and devoid of conscience that they often delay payment of these sums for months together. It is superfluous to point out once more that the plight of the population of Belgrade will be truly terrible this winter and next spring, if all these people are left without money. Hitherto they have managed to live, or rather to exist, under great privations, and with very great detriment to bodily health.