Evening star., 1916-12-31
BY HERBERT COREY.
Copyright, 1915, by Herbert corey)

Copyright, 1915, by Herbert Corey.D
WITH THE SERBIAN ARMY IN THE
BALKANS, October 25.-Last night a
flute was being played in camp. 1t was
| a queer sort of a fiute-cut out Of q corn
stalk or some such thing-and the flute
player was accompanied by another
soldier on a weird country fiddle. 1t
had only a stick for body and q bridge
and a single string. The combination
was Of minor strains. dolorous in this
dark camp. The night was overcast
and gloomy. In perhaps half dozen
of the tiny tents feeble candles flick
cred A company of soldiers were
breaking a night march on what IN
peace times would be the parade
ground. Most of them were stretched
at full length on the damp earth, their
tired heads resting on their olanket
rolls. Few talked. In passing one only
heard the clink of cooking cans rafting
against musket barrels as the men
changed their positions. Half dozen
cigarette ends glowed.
"A discouraged army" a stranger
ing.
Rarely Laughter or Song.
Just the contrary is the truth. 1t is
bitter army. sad army. an army In
which one rarely hears laughter or
song. But it is my conviction that there
never was a more savagely determined
army in the field. These men are not
fighting for sport, or because of a more
or less nebulous idea of patriotism. or
because the soldier feels he must do
his Bit" praiseworthy as those motives
are. Each man is fighting for that
little home across the hills In serbia
and for a cherished personal vengeance.
1 doubt If many of these men in their
heart of hearts believe he will come
out Of the war alive. His aim is. do the
most he can before he goes.
The Serbs go ahead too fast, is the
comment one hears from the men of the
other allies. 'They take too many
chances.
That is a matter of opinion. and when
one considers the ground the Serbs have
gained in comparison with their total
not their relative-losses, my own be-
lief is that the Serbs have good de-
fense for their apparent recklessness-
Their spirit is readily accounted Ior.
Almost every man with whom l have
talked has his own story to tell. AT
the Headquarters of the I'd Army is a
Croatian lieutenant who would be
notable artist if he had the chance.
Some of his battle drawings are worthy
of reproduction in any magazine.
"I have heard that my old father and
mother and my two sisters were arrest
ed seven months ago on a charge OF
nothing since They may have been
shot"
Was Rich Three Years Ago.
The man who sits at my left at mess
was rich three years ago. He only
knows that his father died in con-
centration camp, and that his home was
pillaged. and that his mother and two
sisters we're penniless a year ago. The
eray-haired lieutenant at Yesterdays
luncheon camp knows only that his
wife was killed. 1t is by accident that
these stories come out. The men never
speak of them voluntarily. When they
do speak. it is without outward sign of
emotion. One dimly comprehends OF
what they are thinking during their
silences. No army was ever SO grim of
aspect as the. Serbs.
So much for their spirit. Upon the
physical side they are well provided
and in good condition. At f1rst the
Serb is not as impressive on the march
as the Englishman. let US say, or the
Frenchman. His step lacks the swing
of the one and the spring OF the other
He trudges. rather than marches. at a
slow gait: Then one i
learns that this is the national pace of |
Serbia pace adapted to that Of the |
ox-teams the men followed In peace and /
war-and later that the. serbs can go /
on seemingly forever: They appear OBJ |
livious Of fatigue. With the indiffer-
ence of the true peasant to physical
they splash through mud |
rather than go around. They seem TO
accept all conditions in a spirit Of
Its part Of the job" is the way an
American would phrase 1t.
Rely Upon; Their, Allies,
Being deprived of all revenues from