The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-03-24
SERBIAN BISHOP
 MAKES PATHETIC
 APPEAL FOR HELP
Depicts superings Of His Peo- pie and Bitterly Crit
 icizes Foe.


 pathetic appeal for help for the stricken Serbians has been issued by the Archbishop of Belgrade. Bit terly he cridcizes the methods Of Germany, and graphically does the de pict the sufferfngs of his people. The appeal follows:
 As the Chief shepherdaofs the hero-l ic but sorely tried Serbian naticn, with wounded heart I address myself to- you, generous men in America, and appeal to your Christian charity
 Our Serb nation, in Serbia and Mon tenegro. was the first to be attacked by the insatiabIe Germans. Fhe Aus tro-Hungarian. monarchy. which has for centuries fed on the tears and blood of ensIaved nations. moved its great military power to annihilate be- fore else our little Serbian nation the Serbian nation which has just re- turned home after the hard struggle with the Ottoman power which for five centuries kept it in an unbear- able and barparoEs slavery, crushing it's progressive Christian culture.
 Austro- Hungary, which had all ready tried to frustrate all intellec- tual and econ onhic progress, in order to be free to8 shbdue Serbia, when she. pleased, has hastened to attack her when exhausted by two pr eViouss warss-
 
 Serbian nation, though lacking everse thing that is necessary, is defending with great seIf-sacridce it's freedom and it's country, breaking at the same time the chains Of slavery of all other oppressed nations God the eternal guardian of Justice in His merciful Providence has already given the proofs of His rich mercy towards the Serbs, who in a manner worthy of David are repulsing the gFasping and a.stute power of 6 Goliath. But they. will have to make further efforts and to undergo still greater sacrifices. Therefore call upon you, dear brethren in Christ, to join your pray sers to God with ours, that He, the All merciful, may by His mighty right hand increase: thete strength of the honest and heroic Serbian nation and may grant them the final s5victoTy over the enemy who seeks to annifli- late them, trampling under their feet the brotherIy love recommended to us by Our Savior. 3
 At the same time beseech you all, generous Christians and kind men, to make, according to your power and good. will, material sacrifices in aid of the poor Serbian soldiers and suf- ferers Even the smallest contribu- tion for this object will be an act most pleasing to God During the 1 long war a. great nuL90ST OI duult Serbs have already been killed or | disabled for work Their homes and their orphans will have to suffer greatly from hunger and destitution.
 The bar1barolIs methods of warfare 1 of the German allies the object of 1 which is to annihilate other nations and their culture, have inflicted on us as we'll as on the BeEgians, bloody and incurable wounds. Whole crowds l of our best and nobIest Serbs, who 1 as cornbatants peacefully receiv- | ed the Austrian army. have been kill ed with a cruelty of which even saw ages would be ashamed. Men and wonnen,S old men and innocent chill dren have been murdered by terrible tortures, by arms and by fire. Many have been locked up in school build ings and other houses and burned alive. All the churches to which the Austrians got access, have been | desecrafed. robbed and destroyed The schools and the best houses have fared in the same wayN Belgrade l the Beautiful capital of Serbia, its 1 itar4an instituti ons, have been de stroyed. The university, the nation al library, the museum and scientific | collections, have been ruined.
 For those who have escaped, and for the orphans of the fallen, speedy 1 ASCSSSSc1I y l [ am addressing this letter to you and I appeal to all the archbishops l bishops and clergy of Gods church es and to all noble-nninded men and wo- men, to hasten with their charity in l aid of the Serbian nation in it's pres 1 ent great distress.
 The principal committee for speedy l relief is under my presidency and I therefore beseech all kind men 1n your happy country to collect contri- buttons for the Serbian sufferers. I 1 with other member of the commit tee, will take care that money assist l ance is properly distributed to real 1 sufferers. We shall also be pleased Eif with the gifts we could also receive the lists of benefactors in order that the entire Serbian nation and I could 1 pray to God for their health, happi- ness and salvation.
 1 DEfATEyTRIUS, 1 Archbishop of Belgrade and Metro politan, of the Kingdom of Serbia President of the Principal Committed
 4n. aid of Soldiers and thatR families