New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-09

10 rcqch the lrorid of the reeaact-
ucpi Of the Tragedy Of Bcigium ana
PoiqHd.
By GORDON GORDON-SMITH.
London. Jan g. When the Austrian,
German and Bulgarian armies stimuli
taneously attacked Serbia it was not
only the military resources Of the coun-
try that were forced to the uttermost.
The civil administration also was test
ed beyond the breaking point.
A. The start Of host.lities the gov
ommeut had already been removed
from Belgrade 70 Nish. When the lat
.cr town was threatened by the Bull
oar.ans The government and the diplo-
matte corps moved 20 Krolievo. From
this they were driven By the German
advance 10 Raschke, thence 20 Now
Bazar. then 20 Miirovitza. later to
Pristina and fnally to Prizrend.
Thence j. took the road to exile at
Scutari.
From day TO day as She enemy sd-
yauccd the railway lines in Serbian
POSSESSION diminished. Telegraph
w.ros worc cu. ard postal communica-
ton with the outside world completely
stopped. From October 10 not . single
revepapcr was printed on Serbian ter
rtory. \ money panic set in and no
body would accept paper money, and az
gold was non-eyistcnt and the supply
Of silver hopclessly inadequate, all
trade and commerce came 20 a stand
still Hundreds Of police, railway Off
Gals and government func,ionaries OF
every kind began 20 pour ia from the
invaded districts. the advance guard of
an immense exodus Of people OF every
class and condition.
Refugees Overw helmed Towns.
10 addition the government was bur
dened with 10000 Austrian prisoners
who had. of course, to be kept rs fat
from the invaders lines as possible
A the in-adcrs advanced the food OF
refugees grew in volume. while the cX
tent of territory IN which they couli
find asylum daily diminished.
From the middle Of October every
road IN Serbia WIS filled with the flow
ing tide Of human misery. Every town
and village was oyercrowded. In krol-
icvo in ordinary times there are $1,000
When I reached the town toward the
end Of October it contained 10000
The same held good OF evcry other
ccntre.
The government issued a decree or
dcrlng ali the male population aboro
fourteen TO leave the invaded distriC,s
before the arrival of the enemy. Ihl-
added nearly million 70 the numo'i
oil people the government had 10 sup
port. aud under the strain the civil al
miu.strat.on broke down completely
Soon the old Serbia of King Mllas was
completely il the hands Of the Ger
mans. while the Bulgarians drove out
the population Of Serbian Macedonia.
Novi Bazar Only Haven.
As consequence the only refuge
left was Novi Bazar Into this narrow
space poured an endless tide OF refu-
rees. Gaunt. hollow-eyed men, women
and children dragged themselve-
YEARLY for hundreds Of kilometres
bound they knew not wither Away
behind them they heard the lneXorable
thunder OF the guns. warning them "a
press on and on. Thousands fell by
the waysde, succumblng TO cold and
hunger.
Late in November the evacuation de-
cree was rescinded and the authorities
we're instructed 10 order the fleeing
population back to their homes and
the tide swung from the south 70 the
north. But the country through
which they had passed had been swept
bare OF every bit OF sustenance.
The smoulderlng hate Of the Al
bantam population. tubjugated only
three short years back, began TO blaze
forth. How many OF he wretched PEG
pie ever reached their homes again
DO not know. but the number OF deaths
must have been frightful.
The fate of Serbia was worse than
than that of Belgium. for 70 King Al
bert's subjects there always remained
France. England and Holland "a ha-
vens Of refuge. For King Peters peo-
ple there was none. On the one hand
The in1ospitable mountains OF Monte
negro offered barrier which The
starving people were powerless "a
cross. On the other was the desola
ton OF the snow-capped peaks OF Al
bania. with a population sullenly hos
tile 10 Serbia and everything Serbian
No Aid in Albania.
But even II they had been willing "a
welcome them with open arms they
could not have helped them. as the
mountaineers Of Albania live them
selves all their lives on the ragged
edge of starvation. The catastrophe
therefore. was beyond human aid. and
Serbia had 20 drink the cup Of bitter
ness 70 the dregs and witness the
laundering of all that was left Of her
manhood and national wealth. Il was
the death agony Of one OF the bravest
nations in Europe. OF people who
had for five long years fought foui
victorious wars for ITS national exist
ence. and AZ last succumbed 10 com
blnation Of forsss three times stronger
than itself.