Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-10-10
TIE CRISIS IN sERYIA.

The return Of Nathalie, the ex-Queen of
Servia, to Belgrade at this time is signiti-
cant. Not very many months have elapsed
since this brilliant and beautiful woman
was, by special dispensation of the Greek
Church. divorced from King Milan, her
husband The divorced Queen, wife and
mother left her country, taking her boy with
her. She visited various courts, at each Of
which In turn she failed to procure sym
pathy for her woes or shelter for her head.
Finally after submitting to rebutfs and dis
eourtesieS that In her situation were in
suits, at the hands of the German Emper-
or, her son was literally torn from her
arms and taken back to Servia. King
Milan subsequently abdicated the throne In
favor of the child The mother was forbid
den to follow her child into Servia. The
boy has since ruled at Belgrade as King,
surrounded by an army of intriguing cOur-
tiers His father, the profigate and semi-im
beetle ex-King Milan, has remained in the
back ground, an object for the undisguised
contempt and hatred of the people he once
ruled. There is not a man or woman in
Servia who does not know that Milan S
divorce from Nathalie was secured by chic
anery and fraud, and the recreant husband
Is more heartily despised by sturdy and
warlike race than the meanest sneak-thief
In the land. In defiance of the open hos
tility Of the mushroom government that
hedges about the child-King, Nathalie has
gone to see her son. In doing so, she con-
fronts her enemies In their stronghold
Her progress to her destination was con-
tinued triumph Waving flags and cheer
ing multitudes testified to the regard in
which she is held by the masses. Her
presence in Belgrade is, of course, officially
unnoticed by the Government. She is a
guest at the house Of an old friend, lady
In private life, whom she knew and per-
haps favored in happier days. The Gov
eminent may well feel uneasy while she re-
mains in the capital, and she says that she
has come to stay. She can not appear in
public without receiving an ovation from
the populace, and no one knows what form
any one of these ovations may take if Ma
thalie chooses to give the word. The ex-
Queen has already visited her son and re-
ceived official calls from all the foreign am
bassadors, with the exception of those of
Germany and Turkey. She is Russian
of moderately high birth, and her cause
and the existing government represent re-
spectively the opinions of Germany and
Russia The latter country will always be
her friend. and the future of Servia will be
determined by the relative Importance set
bv Emperor William and the Car upon
the control Of influences at Belgrade. The
political future of petty European mon
archy is perhaps of little import to Ameri-
cans, but it is interesting to note the SEN
timent of a loyal people toward Queen
whose public and domestic rights have
been shamefully violated. Nathalie left
Belgrade friendless and an outlaw. She
has returned in manner beftting a Queen
and it looks as if she might again be one
or have the power of one. Notwithstand
ing the untiring efforts of the oourtiers tc
poison the mind of the boy-King against
his mother, it is said that he was only pre-
vented by main force from rushing out t.
meet her when she passed the royal palace
But. whatever be the result of the issue be
tween mother and son, it is gratifying t.
know that Milan, the sneak, coward, IN
CRATE and debauchee, can never hope t.
emerge from the slough of popular disdaii
in which he has wallowed since he sacri
feed the last yestige of his manhood in tn
cause of political intrigue.