New-York tribune., 1908-07-03
WORD FOR THE CROWN PRINCE.

servia's Crown Prince is just now so much pc
.e e rubltc in connection with the attempt lately
made ~ Cettinje to render him responsible LOT te
alleged conspiracy to blow up his grandfather lie
ruler Of Montenegro, with nitrogycerlhe ooiiios
that il NAV be just as well to warn readers Oh
- 7.++ar- NOT TO ACCEPT as Gospel truth all the
exravagant stories printed of this particular scion
Of Old World royalty If half the things toia ABOUT
him had anv foundation he would be nj only lOi
= lunafic ASYLUM. and the reason Tor MS peihs
made the subject of so much calumny is, first OF
all The fact that there plenty of people In
terested for political reasons in malgnlng hiiii'
while the very that these tales are allowed 10
go uncontradicted emboldens newspaper scTlnes 10
draw upon their imagination concerning him. ana
10 attribute TO him all sorts Of crazy deeds and ut
terances of which he has never been gullty. lho9e
who know him best of the opinion that ms ac-
cesston to the throne will inaugurate happier era
for Servia since he is possessed OF an energy ana
of 2 courage which are lacking in his weak and
vacllating father, King Peter He is, like his SIS
ter Princess Helen, thoroughly embittered against
the officers who took part in the murder OF KING
Alexander and Queen Draga, by reason OF the
disgrace which they have brought upon the coun-
try and bitterly resents the virtual ostracism TO
which the court of Belgrade has been subjected by
the foreign regning families, owing TO the failure
Of King Peter to Danish the regicides from his en-
tourage and TO deprive them of the high offices
which they insist upon retaining, in spite OF all
that has been said TO the contrary
Discipline is frightfuly lax in the Servian army,
eeY,ecja1v in the commissioned ranks, and the
Crown Prince has il is quite true, repeatedly had
occasion TO call officers harshly to account Tor
gross pieces of insoIence and neglect OF the most
ordinary kind OF military courtesies He goes as
little Is possible TO his fathers palace so as TO
avoid meeting the latters regicide dignitaries but
lives 4 rather secluded life in a small palace
which he owns in the so-called Crown street at
Belgrade He is much interested in mechanics has
fitted I'D a portion Of his palazzino as a machine
sbop and spends all his spare time there. He mas
already achieved remarkable success as a lock-
smith while his knowledge of all the component
parts of the various motors on the market Is
astonishing Naturally, his enemies have taken ad-
,-antaee Of his fondness for mechanics and of his
spending so much of his time in his workshop TO
ascribe to him active role IN the manufacture
of The bombs brought by conspirators to Cettln1e
for the purpose of blowing up his grandfather 1t
is perfectly true that the bombs were brought
from T3elgrade but they brought thence TO
Cettinje by Montenegrins who had suffered cruelty
Al the hands Of their sovereign, who had been
compelled TO seek refuge across the border ana
who were bent upon revenge. Nor has any con-
viDcing evidence been produced connecting the
Crown Prince with the crime, the story Of which
as unfolded at the state trial at Cettnje reads
more like a romance of the Prisoner of Zenda"
order than a twentieth century lawsuit
OF course it must not be forgotten that the
present Prince of Montenegro's uncle and prede-
cessor was shot and killed the quay of Cattaro
grandfather Prince Alexander Karageorgevitch
was convicted by the Hungarian courts of having
instigated Hungarian soil the particularly shock
ing murder of Prince Michael Of Seryia in 1868 at
Belgrade, and was in consequence thereof forced
10 fee from Hungary and seek refuge in France
Alexander Karageorgevitch's own father was as
sassinated, were King Alexander and Queen
Draga that there is nothing particularly strange
in the alleged conspiracy to assassinate Prince
Nicholas Of Montenegro; only there is proof
that his grandson, the Crown Prince Of Serva, has
had ANYTHING whatever TO do with the plot.
The Crown Prince may add is devoted TO every
form Of snort is a splendid rider and swimmer
and Is developing among the Servian people
fondness for sporting matters previously unknown
in the kingdom He is very anxious to repair the
prestige Of his country in the eyes OF foreign gov
ernuents and created excellent impression
among those who met him during his tour Of the
various European countries last year. 1t was
tour undertaken under the strictest ncognito, and
he had as such occasion TO hear many foreign
opinions about his family and about Servia from
people ignorant Of his identity, but which he has
taken to heart. ] may add in conclusion that
while he has yioient temper, he is far from being
the profiigate that he has been portrayed and the
orgies ascribed TO him in print and in picture are
made out OF the whole cloth He is rather a re-
cluse than anything else, has sufficient pride TO
have refused the civil accorded to him by the
government because It not the result Of a
unanimous vote and is held in considerable respect
and regard hy the foreign legations at Belgrade.