The sun., 1909-05-23
Austris. Old Hold on seryia.

| Auetflh-dunRaTy ana Servla, ike
two near neighbour when they have
falien out, are letting the world into
number Of interesting seeret@ Mr.
HANoTAUx, IL will be remembered, in
attempting TO justify the Dual Mon
archy's grab in the Balkans opened up
the hidden doors of diplomatic archives
at Vienna and exposed secret agree
ments that made Europe gasp. Now
STRoJAN PRoTITcH, a member of the
Servian Cabinet and one OF the most
active and brilliant of the Radical lead
ers, says in the FortnighHv Reriep that
the Austrians In giving up their secrets
Intentionally avoided mention OF the
secret treaty between his country and
theirs, the most important document OF
all in it's bearing on the present situa-
ton. NJ. PRoTITCH believes this silence
ia an indication that the Austrians de-
sire as little as possible known about
the treaty.
That Austria Hungary had a hold
upon Servia strong enough to dictate
it's policies and make and unmake Min
isters was believed by many, but that
she held over her small neighbor con-
vention and that grave irregularities
occurred when its provisions were i'm
posed was not suspected even by many
Servian Prime Ministers and Ministers
Of Foreign Affairs. King MILAN brought
the treaty to Belgrade from Vienna fully
drawn up, there had been no correspon-
dence or negotiation regarding II. and
it was signed without the consent OF
knowledge Of the Servian Cabinet. In
short. after the Austrians had estab-
lished themselves in Bosnia and Herze-
govina and had come to realize the
rightfulness OF Servia's claim Of interest
in the two provinces, they imposed
upon servia this special secret conven-
ton. 1t placed Servia practically in
the position Of vassal State pro-
vided that she could make no treaties
or carry on no negotiations with
foreign States without the consent OF
Austria Hungary, defined her military
forces and alliances, limited her terri
torial expansion, and bound her to tol-
crate no political or religious intrigue
against Austria-Hungary. 1t opened
the way for Austrian exactions regard
ing tariff and duties and placed the fnan-
cial credit OF the country in Austrian
hands; it laid a foundation for the COM
plete easy subjugation Of Servia and the
mastery that Austria Hungary to-day
exercises in the near East. The provi-
sions Of this treaty were strictly enforced
during it's lifetime, from 1881 to 1894
remained operative till the death OF
MILAN, and by having been embodied
through trickery in part into the Consti-
tuition are still exerting an influence.
In the fact that Servia was ruled
so long by q secret convention which
she was powerless to combat may be
found a reason for many OF the internal
strifes and contentious that brought
her into disfavor with the rest OF the
world. The clash between the national
Servian policy and the Austrian policy
Of secret treaty kept up for twenty
years struggle that developed a war
with Bulgaria and an insurrection that
caused the extinction Of Servian
royal family. The relations between
the King, his Cabinet and the people
were necessarily unsatisfactory, for
Prime Ministers and Ministers OF For
eign Affairs came into office and went out
without knowledge of this secret treaty,
the only key to the situation.