Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-01-23
NORTHWESTERN CONSUL
DEFENDS KINGS COURSE
Captain Scfrovitcli Protests Against
Charge Tint Monarch Has Sold
Country to Enemy.
ARMY rs MAKING LAST STAND
.iircady Casualties Amount to Third
Of Country's Entire Fighting Force.
Macy Women, Children and Old
Men Die of Starvation.

MEM YORK. January 22.-capiain
:, Vladimir Sefrnvtch Montenegrin
consul In New York, issued - state
incnt to-day defending King Nicholas
from wha; he termed charges that the
monarch had sold his country TO the
enemy
The Montencgrins have been at
war for all Of 500 years hc SAID. ana
they never have had peace.
The land is rocky and poor; there
IS no agriculture and no Industries. So
our people always have lived the fru-
gal life.
al the beginning Of tn" present
war our population was about 100000
with nm army OF 10000, to which was
added 10000 more who arrived from
america, a total of 10000 Of all ages
from eighteen 10 sixty. out of that
number we have lost 81 third"
Captain Sefrovitch declared that all
the Montcnegrin artillery was OF an
old type. ana that the infantry was
armed with old Russian repeating
rifles or guns taken from the Turks
or Austrians, white much Of the ann
munitinn on hand was 50 old u was
useless.
"A fortnight after the declaration Of
war against Austria" he continued
there was no -four TO be bought in any
"f the little markets Of M"ntcnegro
/ know instances where the army
fighting IN the trenches nas been LETT
four days without bread. Bread has
heen the cry Of the Montencerin peo-
pic for centuries. ask any one who
has heart 10 tell me II. under such
conditions. n nation small as Mon
'enngro. surrounded Oh all sides By
enemies, could better have resisted
,he enemy? Wha, could anybody cx-
poet hut destruction"
LITTLE MoNTENEGRIN ARMY
NOW MAKING LAST STAND
And still feel proud 10 say that,
notwithstanding all this, the little army
of Montcnc.riug who are left, with
their King vt their head. arc making
u last stand. II help comes in time.
perhaps the Moutcncgrins Will he ahl"
to prov. that they are still worthy OF
;dmirution Ills Majesty. King Mich
"las. who is a soldier and a poet. has
reached the age OF scvcnty-av. years
and has fought many battles II" loves
hiE people and mis- people all love him.
"Wo arc dividing with our brethren.
tn" Scrbiaus. and ~ VIII stand b. them
80 they have stood BY Us until tn"
Lord gives Us acac. again, snd restores
us 20 our homes Their. are many chill
dreu. women and old men who have
died If starvation, hut our people arc
Christians. aud ,hcy haze not yet de-
SPARED OF final victory.
- haN. received communications
from lnS Government that put me Ia II
position 20 protest aGaiiIs; false reports
from broad which We're aimed 10 d..
stroy ~, reputation OF my King. These
Tcror'- w-rc manufactured by the
oEcsn.
y protest against insinuations that
Transports Mia supplies for Nontcue-
-;vo la a, anchor in the harbor Of 81.
lohn 3cf Media. and that those supplies
were rot'iu- III the boats because the
Montptc.;rin government did not inter
st !tsrlf Ia land them. declare thar
II such big supplies wcr" Al the dis.
poSai ~ the poor Montencgrin. they
would nav, kept our brave soldiers in
bcttcr pins sic-i condition. must
.'id mat the MoutencSrius Viii no: be
iras the allies. They would rather
de than surrender.
Captain .SefroSitch IS tn" only diplo-
matte ~ consular representative OF hts
GOV, l,lu"nt in III" United states