The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-12
The Murder of Hing Alexander.

In the tragedy just enacted at Bel
grade, King ALEXANDER has fallen
victim to the folly of his father, and the
OBRENov1TcH dynasty disappears from
history. Instead of being an outburst
Of local passion against the person OF
Queen DRAGA, it is the elimination OF
long wears of intrigue carried on against
the reigning family by the rival claimants
to the Servian throne, the kARAGEoRGE-
WITCHES, whose ancestor led the revolt
against the Turks in 1904 and WAS later
assassinated by partisan of MILoscH
OBRENovITcH, who had supplanted him
after he had been forced to take refuge
in Austria. - d.
The conclusion Of peace with Turkey
found MILosCH in power, and by procla-
nation of the Skuptschina, or National
Assembly, in 1880 he was made Prince OF
Servia From then to the present time
the descendants OF KARAaEoRGEvrTcH
have carried on intrigues from Vienna
and other European capitals against
their successful rivals, but it was only
of recent years that they found the neces-
sary support for their schemes in the
Servian Army.
The Servans are an impressionable
people, among whom it has been easy
to propagate the idea that the rebuffs
Servia has met of late from Russia and
it's ALMOST servile dependence on Austria
were due to the vacillating policy Of
King ALEXANDER and of his father be-
fore him. They have not forgotten
that but for King MILANs vanity and
want of personal courage Servia and
Bulgaria might have been now united
nitza, fought in 1885, would never have
taken place to make enmity between the
two countries. The domestic life of
King MILAN with it's perpetual scandals,
and the unfortunate marriage in 1900 OF
King ALEXANDER with DRAGA MAscH1N,
under whom the palace became a
centre of intrigue, alienated popular
sympathy. The Reorganization in Serv-
ian politics, that began with the abdica-
ton of King MILAN in 1880, rapidly de-
generated into anarchy after the mar
rage of his son, and the revolutionary
radical element was practically in con-
troll Of the Government at the time of
the coup d'etat that dislodged them a
short time ago.
BY an unfortunate concurrence Of
events King ALEXANDER found himself
at the outbreak OF the Macedonian
troubles unable to take the part which
the Servian people called for in oonnec-
ton with the prosecutions Of the Servian
population OF Old Servia in northern
Macedonia. The ensuing discomfort
with his rule prepared the pretenders
way to revenge for the assassination Of
his grandfather.
At any other time such an event would
have caused a stir in European politics,
but in the present condition Of affairs in
the Balkans it is Of special gravity. 1t
is not even certain that the Powers di-
rectly interested in the stability Of af-
fairs in the Balkan States will recognize
the new King, and it is within the bounds
of possibilities that there may be an
intervention to maintain order. 1t is
not even certain that Servia will remain
Servia, though her transformation inn
plies political disturbance on some far
larger scale than would fit her bounda-
ries. In any event new turn has been
given to Balkan politics the end of which
it is not easy to foresee.