The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-12-11
Abandoned Serbia

The daily bulletins from Serbia
bring pangs of real regret and sorrow
TO the Americans who learned from
daily association with her heroic
sons. during the trying months Of the
year just closing, something OF their
patriotic ambition and devotion to
country.
In the fate OF affection unequalled
in the experiences of any other peo'
ple of Europe, Serbia won the admir-
alton as well as the sympathy of all
christendom, by her undaunted conf
dence and hope and by her silent IN
complaint
Disease. starvation, death by fire
and sword had for her people no
dread Of losing their national integri-
ty. a
There is a singular democracy in
Serbian life. One realizes it as he
sees the private soldier and the com
handing general in friendly converse
uron the street or when the officer in
gilt and broadcloth touches elbows
with the soldier in the homespun or
the peasant in his sheepskin coat
over the coffee in their cafe. seated
perhaps at the same table Again
one apprehends in the solicitude
shown by the aristocratic and well
dressed Serbian women for sick peas
ant mothers and their halfstarved
babies for blind beggars and for
manned and crippled soldiers by the
way-side. This democracy is also
manifested daily in many other ways
and in many places; on the march,
in the camp, on railway trains and in
hospitals, with a comradeship quite
unknown among Americans
OF similar unquestioning charae-
ter was Serbias faith in the promise
and purpose of the allies, especially
of her British ally, to save her from
humiliation and destruction when
the long anticipated Austro-German-
Bulgar invasion became an actuali-
ty. Doubtless it was uncomfortable TO
her, as it must have been to the NJ,
merous British relief units scattered
through Serbia. that Great Britain
could fail to save Serbia from a
worse fate than that of Belgium.
1t was wen understood then as
now that both Austrian and Bulgar-
ian invasions would be averted and
that Bulgaria would remain neutral
if an adequate number of allied
troops were sent to Serbia. The
strategic Importance OF retaining the
Serbian railway, which, after the clos
ing of the Dardanelles, was the sole
transportation route from the Medi-
terranean and AEGEAN seas TO the
Balkans and Russia, was understood
by every schoolboy. Britain was
committed to the protection of Serb
ia in a peculiar way, having for
months supplied her with vast sums
of money for equipment and muni-
tions, receiving, as was generally
understood. rather definite assuranc.
eS OF COmMerclal aQNdHtdSe DIS laN-
ored nation at the colse of the war.
Leaving out OF consideration her NOR
al obligation it was not reasonable
for Serbia to expect Britain to forfeit
her future commercial prospects by
simply leaving Serbia TO her fate at
the hands of her foes on the north
and east, who outnumbered her four
or five to one.
Not only can we imagine something
of the Serbian feeling against Britain
but we can also imagine the humilia-
tion and feeling against their own
government of the devoted British
friends of Serbia who We're with her
during her recent epidemic Affections
and who contributed so generously
of counsel, treasury, health and life
itself, that disease might be Danish
ed from her armies and her people.
Practically deserted by her trusted
allies, Serbia has been swept from