The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-12-31
ANOTHER KING
WITHOUT A COUNTRY
Peter of Serbia Becomes Wanderer on
the Face of the Earth as King Albert
of Belgium Is--Something of King
Peters Origin Told.

Vienna, Dec 3l.-There is second
king in Europe without kingdom, as
a result of the war. Peter OF Serbia IS
to -day no better off than the king OF
the Belgians. Karageorgoviteh is fugi-
tive before the advance OF the central
powers and Bulgarian troops. his two
capitals. Belgrade and Nish, are IN the
hands of the invaders. For time King
Peter travelled in a special tram. Al
Krusevatch he had to abandon his NOV
able court. As he stood in the station
building of that town and waited Tor the
automobile that was to take him TO
other parts, tears streamed down his
checks. One of his dwindling encourage
murmured few comforting words, but
to these King Peter merely nodded.
In many respects King Peter is the
most dramatic figure of the European
war, Two regicides are intimately con.
nected with his history, the murder OF
his predecessor, Alexander Obrenovltch,
and his queen, Draga, and the assassl-
nation of the archduke OF Austria, the
dual monarchy's heir presumptive. There
are those who claim that King Peter
knew of the two plots, that, indeed, he
was the instigator of the former. How
true this is would be hard to say in the
absence of more evidence than has so
far been produced. Certain it is only
that King Peter showed no inclination
to be severe with the regicides in either
case. He even managed TO be on good
terms with Major Misitch, arch villain
of the crime in the old konak of Bel
grade Is years ago.
Peter Karageoroyitch never forgot and
never was permitted to forget, that he
had taken the place of a man who had
been foully murdered. Only a few SOW
ereigns consented to meet him, and he
was always so i'll at ease in the presence
OF strangers that he usually summed
them.
King Peters family, it is said, is OF
gypsy origin. The original harageoro-
witch. or "son of Black George however,
was a shepherd. King Peter himself
spent much of his life in Switzerland,
where the summons to Serbia's Inflated
throne reached him.
Shortly after his election TO the king
ship, Peter entered into clsae relations
with the Russian crown. A large an
nlal revenue WAS etiAAtl hlNA WIN
the understanding that in all matters
affecting Serbia's foreign policy he was
20 keep Russia's interests on the Balkan
peninsula in mind.
The attitude of the Serbian Liberal
party made such course by Russia ad-
visable. This party had favored the
establishment OF a republic in Serbia
after Alexander and Drsga had been
murdered. This, and the fact that the
Liberals in those days were not the ar
dent pan Slavists which they became lat
or, recommended the reinforcement Of
The Serbian crown financially. In Petro-
prad il was felt that Russia needed
reliable agent in the Balkans, nor could
& be overlooked there that experiments
in republican government by Slav peo-
pie were not calculated TO make life for
Romanoff dynasty easier. For II years
Peter drew his Russian revenues. and,
II Il asserted here. never lost an oppor-
tunity to serve in return. The arrange
ment made Serbia a veritable appendix
to Russia. and so far a. the European
war has now progressed. proved Serbia's
undoing. Whether or not King Peter
will ever rule in Serbia h hard 10 say
ct this moment; In the central powers
The belief. of course, is that Serbia and
is king are no more