The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-02
SERVIA'S ARMY Is
DOUBLED BY WOMEN
American Princess Says Her
AdOU.0J Sisters Will Fight
With the Men.
ALL ARE INTENSE PATRIOTS
Former Californian Describes
Influence Of the Firpside
Upon a Race of Soldiers.

Upon Race of Soldiers.
"Serv'1's war strength may he given as
oi0. 900. but that figure must be doubled
for all Seryiln women can and viii bear
arms" declared Princess Lazarovtch-
UIchcliInovich the American wife of the
last descendant ~ the old Servan kings
YESTERDAY Even now | have no doubt
they are drilling as the Montenegro
women d.d during the Balkan campaign
and lookins over their underground store
houses Tor they nave always had charge
OF the cpmmissiry department OF the
army. For every Servian soldier who
falls there viii be wife or sister to
take up his gun.
"They are wonderful creatures tall and
almost oyermuscled from the outdoor work
they have done for generations. They
are often very beautiful. And always
they are afre with patriotism"
The Princess drew herself up and her
blue eyes frightened with pride In her
adopted country women. II is easy to
believe that she was very kindly re-
ceived when she went TO them as a Cali
fornia beauty fifteen years ago.
I'm the great wars of the past when
the men have fought the Turks in 'front.'
the women have fred their guns NJ the
Austrians in the rear. They have fought
uniforms. undergone the same hardships
and In the end ecsived the same honors
from their country.
No Need for Suffrage.
"Perhaps il is because these women
have fought and died beside the men
that there Is no need for suffrage In
Servia Long before Magma Charta was
thought of the Queen sat In the Servian
Parliament with her husband. and when
4 ,fsat, st.,t,h a hi ~
it:
"I, having taken counsel with my dear
wife. the Council OF State and the Ma
tional Assembly. do hereby decree
To-day II a woman is considered the
most able member of one OF the great
family groups or Iadrugas into which
Servia f. organized she Is unhestatingly
elected lts head. Then 1t is her business
to oversee the work of the fields which
belong 20 the family and its branches in
common and the work Of the household as
well The men obey her unhestatingly.
when a man is head OF the family
his wife oversees the household work
There f. the great central house, with
It's immense never dying fire in the mid
de OF the central room. oxen and sheep
are often roasted whole over the oak logs
and hams and pieces Of sheep meat are
smoked in the great chimney which over
hanps the fire like an ext!nguisher above
candle.
"Thrre Is much cooking TO he done for
the Sons and cousins and their wives
com. In from their little cottages or
yoyatS scattered round about for the eve
ming meal The women do the work in
groups a week AZ time. Afterward they
sit about the great fire and some one
plays on the one stringed fiddle Of the
country. while another sings one of the old
ballads u Serv.an victory. At intervals
the young people dance the wonderful
sp!r!ted Servian dances. For refreshments
there Is great cauldron of green corn
boiling on the fire.
Influence of the Fireside.
1T is these songs and dances with the
stories Of the old days told 10 the children
around the fire, with the good food and
the free education that make the Servians
the wonderful indom!tabe people they
are. The upright lives they lead may
contra bute something to their moral fibre
for there Is practically no illegitlmacy in
the country. while 'ust across the border
where the Serbs are crushed under Aus
trian tyranny it amounts 10 40 per cent
OF the populati0.
"Where eveIy man has his own interest
in the land OF che zadruga there is no
poverty The boy becomes his fathers
partner AZ birth. though he Is expected
10 do his little share OF the work. Out
side OF that his time is his own. The land
~ wonderfully fertile, the SOIL mas never
needed fertilizer and the great oak for
ests supply a mast OF acorns that makes
Servian pork known the world over.
THE men are water drinking race.
Now and then they take a glass OF prune
brandy, but not often. They take their
pleasures singing and laughing among
their great, happy families. Each new
baby Is welcomed as an added sunbeam
in the great Zabruga. That is why Servia
has been able to offstand Turkey for these
many centuries. DO you wonder that
Servian women are ready to night 10 pre-
serve such a home life as theirs?
mot 500 Serbs have left their country.
but they emigrate from the Austrian ruled
provinces by thousands every year, These
are the men who are crowding the boats
the men who want to see Bosnia and
Herzegovina and Croatia free once more.
And the women will follow them IL they
fall. How many OF them. I wonder, are
Frightening up the daggers they wore
from childhood TO preserve themselves
from Turkish and Austrian soldiers"