New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-06-02
AN UNHAPPY BOY KING.
SERyiA APPARENTLY ON THE EVE OF A
REVOLUTION.


tysoK AZ OCCASIONAL connEsrospEsT on rik TRIBUNE
- Vienna May rs.
The crisis which King Milan sought TO escape by
The ignominious surrender Of his throne appears 70
be on the eve OF taking place In Servia. and there
seems Httle prospect that the projected coronation
a, the hoy King Alexander on June 10 next AT
Tia ancient monastery of Sehitsohko, Will ever take
nlace Milan alone, with his thoroughly Oriental
sunntng and his utter absence OF scrupIe, might
have becn able TO weather the storm, which he was
chyer enough TO foreSee, but altogether too cow
ardly to face The fact is that for some time past
sbe peasants have failed 70 pay their taxes, ana
have steadily spurned all attempts 20 persuade them
10 do So In this they were encouraged by the
sIerCy. who, being altogether subject TO Russia
ana in particular 10 the Panslavjst Headquarters
Committee OF Moscow have sought on every occa-
sion 10 further the interests Of the latter by melting
their aocks against ali taxation, and IN particular
sgaipst Milsn's pro-Austrian policy.
When Milan returned 20 Belgrade last fall with
his son. after seeking in vain 20 negotiate loan
here, he found the National Treasury absolutely
,eunpty and the Government afraid TO enforce the
payment Of the enormous amount OF unpaid taxes
Now, according to the Servan laws, the elector -
only permitted to exercise his franchise Ia case nc
has paid oil bis taxes. King Milans action In
tummoning meeting OF the Grand Sobranle TOT the
alleged purpose of revising the Constitution was
therefore nothing more than vulgar attempt 20
raise the wind and TO fill the Treasury. For he
counted upon the fact that the patriotic Anxiety
Of the inhabitants, who are sturdy republicans a'
heart TO participate in the general election necee
STATED by his summons Of the Sobranje wonlu III
duce them 20 pay up their arrears OF taxes
In this, however, he was disappointed for ho'
only did the larger part Of the population aos'an
from taking any part in the election, but 'he
minority who did go TO the polls returned an ALMOST
unanimous vote in favor of the RuSSop'liie ana
Radical party, opposed 70 Milan's pro-AuS'rian
pslicy Utterly disguised with the reSu" OF 'n''
last manoeuvre, and perceiving that 10 was inpos-
sbh to raise either at home or abroad tne iunus
requisite for the carrying on OF the uoVernaionU'
King Milan sought refuge by aou'c"'inS ~ '"N'
Of his thirtecn-year-old son.
Tie Regency appointed 10 rule the country dur
ino young AIexander's minority and in his name Is
.omnosed Of two Russophiles and one friend oil
l,.,y,a which of course involves never-endlhg
difference of opinion and succession OF most acri-
,nonioss disputes between the triumvlrate' Niof'~
over the Ministry. composed OF thf bltterest pef-
sonsl enemies of Milan, Is thoroughly oeVoOeo !"
Russian interests II is therefore hardly necessary
a. ssa,e that every measure which the ex-monarch
had perpetrated in favor OF his friends az 'ienna,
oftsn at the expense Of Servia, has been ahhuiieu
bv the members OF the present Administrations
wbo RussOphile to the core, are thoroueh'y COY
infant OF the fact that if they ingratiate
a. 81. Petersburg they must necessarily incur "''
fnyeterate hostility OF Austria
The Ministers OF Emperor Francis Joseph nave.
towcvsr IN their hands a potent instrument OF
nressure on the Scrviau Nation, which they have
Now INIT into force with the object Of inducing the
,tisuen at Belgrade 10 reflect the error OF their
w.yx and 70 make amends The method OF persua-
sion empoyed by Austria In the matter consists OIL
haas Hogs constitute the staple trade OF sesVls'
Tho Seryian pig L. or ne any rate should Do Tue
anclern Of national wealth and prosperity. Inc
population is essentially an agricultural one an'
agriculture in young King AleNanders dominons
consists almost exclusively in the oreeolng Vi
swine. Now the only market for all these serV'ah
hogs IA To he found in Austria, and the export OK
5vdrkers into the Empire of Francis Joseph eonst-
tutes che entire trade apd source OK prosperity Oh
Seryia. Austria fully realizes this, ahd tnefe'
fore whenever she desires 70 exercise h'e'
moral suasion on the Belgrade Government sue
suddenly discovers that Scrvinn pigs are "Hnoieu
With trichinosis or some other kind OF pofc'ne
s,iment. and prohibits their passnge across the
frontier Inc. The last occasion on which tins
too,r ploee was in 1882, when the Skuptchina re-
fused TO ratIfy King SIan's agreement to farm
out not only the national railroads, but also all
the prlpcipal banking mining and other industriai
euterurses, TO Vienna lnancers. On that occa-
zion, although the entire population were uhlteu
tosether under the leadership Of the clergy IN the
opposition 20 the final completion Of the agree
p.ent, they were quickly starved into suolecHon
by Austria's prohibition Of Servian pork, and the
Metropolitan Michael, who hid beaded the ha''oia'i
movement was banlshed from the Kingdom
A few years ago, DESTROYS OF hherating tneir
country from this state OF bondage and dependency
ON Austria several patriotic and wealthy Servians
sought 10 establish great hog packing establish
nent on Chicagoan lines in the neighborhood OF
Belgrade Competent foremcn and heads of de-
partments, together with the requisite machinery
had already been obtained from the United States,
xuEen the Vienna Government suddenly became
alarmed. Il realized that, IL hogs were killed and
hacked 90 Belgrade, the Servian swine would be-
come jpdepcndent OF the Austrian market, aud that
ali noyer Of pressure on the SerYian Administra-
ton would be gone forever. The most urgent rep
resentations were therefore at once made 70 King
Milan. aud in accordance with the imperative
orders received from Vienna the pork-packing
enterprise was nipped in the bud.
AZ tbs uresent moment Austria has once more
sorpht 70 convince the Belgrade Government oil
abe error committed by the adoption OF @ pro Rus
dan policy by prohibiting the importation OF Ser
Wan porkers into the Empire, and so stringently
ara tho orders carried out that uained ~uo
learned usx. the prima donna, in fact. Of well
hnown circus troupe. was stopped at the frontier
while on its way from Belgrade to Pesth, where II
was to have constituted the great attraction Of
widely advertised performance Indeed, it's failure
10 appear 10 the Magyar capital on the appointed
date has led 10 lawsuit for breach OF contract
and the Pessh tsibunls are now called upon tc
decide as 20 whether temporary customs reguh ID
ton can be regarded as constituting the legal en-
preston OF force majeure.
Great misery and distress have been caused
throughout Servia by this action on the part Of
Austria. and the discomfort Of the population hos
be<n even still more increased by the vigorous