Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-11
The AUSTRO- SERVlAN CONFLICT.

The commercial rupture recently declared
between Austria and Servia is due to the
hog, pig and pork being inn
a Sorc1ne portant items of Servian ex-
/ Dispute port. and incidentally
| question of customs dues be-
| tween Servia and Bulgaria. Austria pro-
/ tests that the attempt on the part OF Ser
via and Bulgaria to conclude a customs
union to their mutual benefit nuliifies her
| treaty with Servfa whereby she enjoys the
privilege OF the most favored nation clause
A Servo Bulgarian rapprochement, however.
Is taken to be a menace to her economical
| interests In Servia, which affect also her
political interests In the Balkans
/ few days ago. at a ball at the palace
in Vienna. the emperor. Francis Joseph.
addressing DR.. youitch. the Servian minis
ter. said to him with marked dlspieasure:
| Mr.. Minister, find that the Servian gov
eminent has acted very incorrectly In its
negotiations with Bulgaria. Sire" asked
/ the minister. lin what has Servia Of
fended?" And the emperor replied: when
| a secret treaty has been made against
the interests of certain state. negotia-
lions with that state (meaning Austria)
should not be continued" The emperor
thereupon abruptly turned and left the
| astonished minister.
The Austro-Servian conflict, 1t may be
said just here, should serve to attract
American capital and industry to Servia
In the first place, incredible as 1t may
seem, in 1903 there were only 562 kilo-
meters of railroads in Servia. The entire
/ system of roadways and canalzation re-
quires reformation. Belgrade, the capital,
is Wretchedly paved and invites energy and
capital for Its necessary transformation.
The soil is rich in coal. zinc. antimony. cop
per, silver and gold, and awaits intelligent
/ exploitation. The government, it should
be added, encourages the formation of
4 a Orf ay1 ,yaa Iss,l
were 30 in 1862. The country is particu-
| larly agricultural and raises in perfection
wheat. barley, oats. maize, hemp seed,
hemp fiber, fax seed, flax fiber and meadow
| grass. In 1893 the government was au-
| thorfzed to make concessions for Industrial
enterprises and for this purpose to grant
| free lands: to exempt from custom duties
/ and other taxes; to provide facilities for
| the purchase of fuel, etc., to reduce the
| railway rates by 25 per cent and to assign
| government contracts to native manufac-
| the average rates. Cattle raising is an
| important industry In December. 1900.
| the stock on hand was as follows: Horses.
1874. $40: horned cattle. 962,59o; sheep. $685.
/ 159: pigs. 959. $50.
The Servian is Sav, originally from the
| ancient kingdom Of Galicia, who emigrated
| to Servia in the seventh century. He Is tai
l and muscular, with regular features, aQui-
/ line nose and prominent cheek bones. HIS
! hair is blond or chestnut. He Is very intel
ligent and has remarkable talent Tor song
and music. He was converted to Christian
| ity under the reign of the grand-5oupan
| Fiastimir. A. D. So
+
Etienne Donchan became king in 1884.
| conquered Macedonia and Albania In 1345,
was proclaimed emperor of
| Early the Servians and Greeks at
History. Uskub In l347. and organized
/ his court and administration
1 on ho Ryy t5po oil n 121S
| he conquered the Epirus and Bosnia. In
| 1349 he promulgated at Uskub, before an
| assemblage of his vassals. the celebrated
/ code of Slaws and rules known as the Zako-
| mix, which governed his vast empire. In
| 1854 he took Belgrade from the Hungarians.
! and died in 1856 at the moment he was
about to take Constantinople and force the
Turks from Europe.
/ The Turks defeated Servfa at the battle
| of Kossova in 1889, and held 1t in sub
| lection until 1904, when partial autonomy
| was obtained under Kara George, aided by
i Russia. Milosche Obrenovitch defeated the
| Turks In 1915. and was named by the
| skoupchtina as prince regent, and by thu
| nattf-cherib of 1880 the sultan confirmed
the vote of the skoupchtina and accorded
| to Servia complete interior autonomy. In
/ 1856 the treaty of Paris placed Servia under
| the collective protection of the Christian
| powers. When Bosnia and Hergezovinia
| rose In revolt in 1876 Servia rebelled against
| the porte Her troops were defeated, but
| Russia interviewed, and March 1. 1877,
| treaty of peace was concluded which re-
| established the condition prior to the war.
/ After the fall of Plevna the Servians at
/ tackled Turkey in December, 1877, cap
| tured Mich and penetrated to the plains OF
Kossoy0 The treaty of San Stefano. which
| Russia forced upon the Turks, not conced-
| ing to Servia the desired extension of ter
ritory. Prince Milan, by means of certain
/ concessions to Austrian diplomacy. obtain
ed the support of Austria. and Servfa was
! tnad ktnCS In
| The quarrels of King Milan and Queen
Natalie (the daughter of Col Kechko.
| Russian subjecD, together with the oppo-
sition of the radical party, caused Milan &c
abdicate in favor of his only son Alexander
in 1889.
The reign of Alexander obrenovitch v
| challenges comparison. He was only twelve
| years of age on the abdica-
Alexander's ton of King Milan and
Reign. council of regents was con-
| stituted. But the radical
! ministry was not in harmony with the re-
| gents and resigned. The young king there
upon declared himself of age, sent away
the regents and formed ministry of mod
| crate radicals
The following year Alexander caused his
/ father to return to Belgrade and again the
ministry was changed, the constitution of
| 1SSS was suspended and that of 1860 was
| restored.
| In 1897 Milan was appointed commander
| fn-chief of the army. Russia and Monte
negro thereupon broke OFF their diplomatic
| relations with Seryia, whilst the re.at.ons
| with Austria were strengthened. In 1900,
however. these relations were brusqueiy re-
versed on the announcement by Alexander
| Of his marriage with Draga Machfn, a for
n1er maid of honor of Queen Natalie.
! The Car Nicholas IL was represented at
| the marriage, and Milan's departure from
| Belgrade, command, was the signal of
| a rapprochement with Russia. In April. 1901,
Alexander promulgated a liberal constitu-
1 ton, too liberal In fact for the Servians.
/ Some officers of the army. June H. 1905
invaded the palace and killed both Alex
ander and Draga. On the 18th of the same
month Peter Karageorgeviteh, the eldest
| son of the former Prince Alexander, was
proclaimed king by the skoupchtina.
The executive power is vested in the king,
assisted by a council of eight ministers,
who are individually and collectively
sponsible to the nation. The legislative au-
taority is exercised by the king in conjunc-
ton with the national assembly, Or narodna
skoupchtfna. The council of state consists
of sixteen members. eight appointed by the
king and eight by the assembly.
The national assembly is composed of 10