The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-12-04
Destruction, Not Defeat,
Seems Little Serv1a S L0r
Small Nation Which Dared Challenge Francis Josephs
Power Destined to Suffer Belgum's Fate-Villages
and Farms at Mercy of Invaders.


Like the fail of Antwerp. the evacua-
ton OF Belgrade marks the exhaustion
OF a little nation after a long and des-
perate struggle against a gigantic foe
If Servia is not yet at the knees OF her
enemy She is plainly giving way under
the violence of blows that can no longer
he parted. or itself the capture OF Bel
grade means little in a military sense.
incomparably less than the taking OF
Antwerp. Yet 1t serves to confirm the
private information which has reached
America recently.
Before the Balkan wars Servia was
state about the size of New Hampshire
and Vermont combined and had popu-
lation OF 100000 that is. less than
Massachusetts. Montenegro, its neshbor,
also peopled by Serbs. then contained
perhaps 100000 people. At the close OF
the second Balkan war the new Servia
had nearly doubled its area and had now
a population OF 100000. But OF these
only small portion were Serbs.
When Austria declared war in July
il is doubtful If there were more than
5000, OoO Serbs in King Peters kingdom
that IL, approximately the population Of
the American colonies at the outset OF
the Revolution. Against them was "aw-
fully arrayed" the Hapsburg empire, with
u population of at least 100000.
Yet in the opening days OF the con-
fict Scrvia Was the first Of the Allies 10
win a great victory. At the Jedar n
the third week in August four Austrian
army corps Were routed. sent home across
the Drina. The splendid achievement OF
the Serbs against the Turk al kumsnovs.
against the Bulgar at the Bregaiinitza
was repeated against the Austrian OPP
pressor
In the weeks that followed Servian
and Montenegrn troops flowed over into
Bosnia, approached Sarajevo the bonn
bardment VI Belgrade was interrupted by
the capture OF Semlin by the troops OF
King Peter Along the Adriatic the ar
tillery OF the allied fleet awakened echoes
under the Black Mountain and II seemed
certain that. Cattaro taken. the Serbs
would at last acquire their window on
the sea" All through southern SlavdOm.
too, there was evident the stirring Of
! sympathy with the victors OF the Jedar.
But September come and gone. 1t was
plain that Austrian plans had undergone
"a complete change due. 1t was said TO
German suggestion. Political, not mill
tary, considerations patiently demanded
| that Servia should be beaten down. II
Servia We're crushed Bulgaria might be
enlisted on the German side by the proffer
Of the Macedonian saniaks taken from
/ Turkey In the Balkan war. assigned 10
/ Bulgaria by the Bulgaro- Servian antebel-
| lum agreement and lost by Bulgaria In
the second war. Monastir, Ochrida, even
Uskup. might be turned over TO Ferdinand
as the price ~ Bulgarian support and
/ the Bulgaria Of san Stefano created at
last.
Turkey having joined the Kasers II
! Bulgaria could bc bought and SerNia
crushed the road would lie open from Ber-
| lin 10 Constantinople. to Asia Minor. Froul
the North Sea to the Golden HON and
the Persian Gulf the Kaiser and his al.
lies would then dominate central Europe
and Western Asia Rumania. hesitatlng
eager 70 ''redeem' Rumanian millions in
/ Austria, would he kept In line, forced "a
remain neutral AT the least, possibly later
/ enlisted by the prospect OF a pourhore I'm
the shape OF Bessanab!a. taken by Rus
STA after the Russo-Turklsh war and
mourned always IN Bucharest.
/ on the other hand. victorious Scrviau
advances in Bosnia, certain to he attended
by risings OF the Bosnia Serbs, the ulti-
mate luss of Bosnia and Herzegov lna
the capture by the Serbs OF the railway
that leads from the Save 20 the AdriatC
and touches the sea at the entrance OF
the Gulf Of Cattaro. whore the allied feet
was already statioued--thls would NEAR
an ultimate invasion Of Hungary, thrust
from the south toward Budapest, timed
perhaps to syuchronize with a Russian
raid across the CarpLthiaus.
Rumanld and Bulgaria, too, seeing
SerVia entering into possession of Aus
trian lands, urged ny Russian AMI b. T.
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