The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-19

| copper, ron and zinc. 1t 10 a land
OF promise, and II IS not to be won
! dered at hat envious eyes have fas-
tened Ipon 1t. No country has had 20
fight harder to maintain its freedom.
The efficiency Of the army has been
greatly increased since 1908. Under
a system Of obligatory service 1t con-
sists to-day of an active army or
ganized In three bans and a Poslednya
udbrana, or last line OF defence. The
recruit begins his service any time
between IS and II and serves eighteen
months in the infantry or two years
in the cavalry and artillery. After
this he belongs for eight years to
the reserve of the first ban. lie Is
afterward attached for six years to
the second ban, and for eight years
to the third.
The last line of defence consists
oil a~blebodied men between the ages
of Is and u and As and so. In the
Balkan war of 1912 the army num-
bcred about 100000 men. in 1914 its
strength was between four and five
hundred thousand.
The author. himself "A Serb. thinks
highly OF the Serbian character. He
says the Serb is immoderately proud;
has great self-confidence and love of
country. Death rather thar slav-
cry" Is his national device. Mr.. Pc
trovitch quotes what an American
Red Cross doctor said of the Serbs
To Basil Clarke, the war corre-
spondent: MY word. Clarke. but I
tell you these men are great. feel
that small beside them that I could
hide myself. Pain! Suffering! You've
not seer bravery till you've seen these
men suffer! I'll take of a hand, an
arm, n lcg-without a~nasthetlcs, mind
INo.AandM fslloM
an eyelid. II you q him say oh,
oear!' that's as much as you'll hear.
and not often hat much. And die
They'll die without a s~ound-unless II
Is to thank YOU II they car before they
go. Where this race of soldiers
sprang from I don't pretend to know,
but I tell you right now. they are
Gods own mem"
The historic portion of the book
Ia divided into thirteen chapters: The
Rise TO Greatness in the thirteenth
| una 1pllTtttflH Ct1lNNlIitS. llt itdi
of bondage" during the Ottoman in
roads in the late fourteenth and early
fifteenth centuries: The Year 1904
when the Janissaries entered Serbia
and organized n military government
OF terror and initiated a rule OF un-
exampled tyranny II plumber. In
1904 the Serbs sem a deputation to
PetroRrad and received a cautiously
worded but favorable reply in which
Russia promised to support the re
quests hat Serbia intended to prefer
at Constantinople. lie following
chapters deal with such national he
roes as Milosh Obrenovitch. Alexan-
der Karageorgovitch. Michael and
Milan Obrenovitch. with the reign N
King Alexander. the Bosnian ano
Macedonian questions, h Balkan
wars. the Brewing Of the Storm and
Punitive Expeditions"
Serbian history is mainly interest
ing as II connects with h inter
weaving history OF other European
countries and as II plays its part In
the present tremendous debacle.
The second half of this book. or
national superstitions and beliefs, Is
the same as the first half OF Hero
Tales and Legends OF the Serhians.'
These hero tales are not more. II any
thing are less interesting than the fairy
tales and folklore OF other countries
They are not related here with any
literary charm or grace, and the bar
outlines serve only to remind one Of
other nations tales OF magic carpets
dragons. Adventures n princesses
The book. however. Is beautifully
illustrated and handsomely got out
and just at this time. when the worlC
is becoming more and more aware o.
its smaller European countries anC
the part they play in the whole. /
will serve excellently as a gift book.