New-York tribune., 1903-06-17
KING TO BE FIGUREHEAD
,SERVIAN MILITARY RULE.
Opposing Parties Promptly Checked
bu Officers Threats.

Peter promises to be little more than that OF d
| royal captive; the real government OF the couh-
| try will be a military dictatorship unoer the
leaders of the revolution. Colonel Mascnln ana
| Colonel Mitschtch. The new King is almost
without any personal adherents and the ruiire
spirits of the army. it is thought propape "ouio
Just as readily murder him as they ala MS pre-
| decessor should he oppose their aims
! At the present moment the whole country Is
/ under military rule, and although no projects
| in the country districts have been recalled, each
| is accompanied by army officer VINO attends
| the prefect wherever he goes. even to the teie-
phone. This policy has led to the result that
not single of disorder anywhere mas oeeh
/ reported.
| Extremely forcble arguments were found
necessary to suppress the radical aspirations
| of a republic The foremost advocate of the
creation of this form of government was LJubo-
mir Schiokovics the Editor of the Belgrade
| "Odjek.' Finding him imperv1ous to argu-
ments the conspirators invited him to dlnEer
| at the Officers Club last Saturday. In the
course Of the dinner his hosts told him that
unless he agreed to support Prince Peter Kara
| georgevitch there would be head less in
| Belgrade that night. NJ. Schiokovics yielded to
the force of this reasoning. and accepted the
situation. He is now Minister of Justice in the
new government.
!
| The deliberations of the members of the Sen
| ate and Skuptschina the republic question
were materially hastened by the attendance or
! one of the leaders of the revolution, Colonel
! Mtschitch The colonel took no part in the pro-
| ceedings, but his presence significant
enough to induce the members to accept the
| armys choice. The Premier, NJ Avakumovics,
| told the Deputies that it ueselss to talk
| of a republic, neither Russia nor Austria
would permit it, He further urged that the pro-
| posed constitution would give King Peter
| far less power than that enjoyed by the Presi-
| dent of the United States.
| In spite of the semi-official statements made
this morning that the delegation of the National
| Assembly chosen to submit the crown to the
new King had already started it is still here.
| The government declared that the number of its
| members, twenty-four, would entail too great
cost the country in the way of travelling ex-
| penses but the real reason of the delay in Its
| departure is that the government found some or
[ its members to be adverse to King Peter These
| members sought the opportunity to become rec
onciled tc him at the expense of the country.
| Now that the ministry has cut off their travel
| ling expenses their desire to make the journey
will be greatly diminished. and the delegation
| will proba bly, consist of dozen members at the
| most.
|
| Inquiries in official circles everywhere elicit
| the assurance that the people delighted with
| the action of the government, but conversations
overheard in public places indicate that the peo-
pie, especially those living outside the capital.
| know little and care little about the trend of
| national politics. One of the features in all the
| shop windows is the display Of large pict-
ures of King Peter freshly printed the cuts
having been brought from abroad. Two peas
ants were heard discussing of the prints
| to-day The first asked who it
| The King, Kara georgevitch,' replied the
| second.
| why did they kill the last King?'
| "I don't know | think he had some trouble
| with the army"
| Suppose this has trouble with the arnny?"
| They will kill him, too" the uncon-
| cerned response.
| 1t is believed that the army will try to make
| secret terms with the King by which it will
retain the supremacy gained by the tragedy,
but whether the King will agree to the cond
| tions is uncertain
| One of the highest officials of the present gov
| ernment asked number of foreign journalists
what Europe thought of the way in which the
Servian revolution carried out He was
| told blunty that it was considered brutal act.
! He thereupon explained that from his point of
view the assassinations of the King and Queen
were acts of mercy, as by utterly destroying the
dynasty instead of deporting the sovereigns the
| likelihood Of civil precluded.
THE TELEGRAMs SENT TO THE KING.
| The following is the te of the telegram from
Premier Avakumovcs by which King Peter was
| informed of his election:
| The national representatives of the people sit
| ting together have just elected you King of
Servia. While making you acquainted with the
fact, the government of Servia has the honor to
tender you its heartiest congratulations. and to
express the desire that country may have a
fortunate and glorious future in store under the
rule of the grandson of the famous Kara George. |
the first Hberator of Serva.
The telegram sent by the Presidents and Vice |
Presidents of the Senate and Skuptschina was |
as follows:
The national representatives of the people of
the Kingdom of Servia have unanimously and |
enthusiastically elected you hereditary King of |
Servia. We the undersigned have the honor to |
convey TO you our most cordial and enthusiastic
congratulations.
The Chamber met at 10 o'clock this morning |
and adjourned for the purpose of going TO the |
Cathedral. where a great Thanksgiving service |
including a TIE Deum celebrated The min |
listers attended the service, which was carried |
out with all the stately ceremonial of the Greek |
Church. The aged Metropolitan, in gorgeous |
vestments of purple and cloth fgold, and with |
a jewelled mitre. surrounded by the bishops |
and priests of the Cathedral Chapter Half the |
congregation was composed of army officers in |
full uniform. The ministers wore evening dress |
and all their orders.
The Metropolitan in a brief address congratu- |
! lated the nation the restoration of the Kara
georgevitch dynasty, dynasty which had in