The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-01-16
PRIMITIVE MONTENEGRO.
why Her Resistance to Austria was
Homeless From the First.

To THE Enron OF THE SuN--Str: l
spent some weeks with The Montenegro
army before Scutari during the hrst
Balkan war. and subsequently travelled
n bit In that poor little kingdom. The
Montenegrins are a tribe OF brave
and sometimes civilized, feudists utterly
incapable Of successful resistance TO the
organized forces sent against them T
the Teutonic allies. now that Serbia has
been definitely eliminated as an aid TO
the Black Mountain kingdom.
A more pitifui conflict cannot be
imagined thar that between Montenegro,
without Serbia behind her, n Austria,
with Germany back Of her. During the
first Balkan war the Montenegro
army numbered less than thirty thou
sand. including men Of IS M 20 years
and boys of Is or 10. This army saw
terrible fighting. much OF II hand 10
hand. with the Turks and Albanian IT.
regulars before the Ottomans rctreased
into Scutari. During the siege some
considerable losses were sustained In
sorties and assaults. Thu sum OF these
casualties affected the total muster or
the Kingdoms fighting men permanently.
while the added territory that came
under King Nicholas after the Balkan
wars was peopled by Albanians and Mo-
hammedans. not Montenegrins. small aid
to the country's battle strength.
In the bu~shwhacking that has gone
on steadily since he beginning OF the
present war the small Montenegro
fghting force has suffered from steady
wearing away by attacks from Aus
tria and from Albania and in counter
attacks against these enemies made by
the Montenegrins. Montenegrin disci-
pline. tactics and strategy are about on
a par with those Of our Iroquois In
dlans during the height Of their power
before the war of the Revolution. The
Montenegrin armies have about the same
sort of effectiveness n limitations as
an 1roquois war party had. When the
machinery of modern warfare IL really
directed against the Montenegrins they
are perfectly helpless In spite Of all
their courage and experience in a sort
Of primitive fighting that is Just II shade
more effective than hat employed In a
good hot Kentucky feud. II Ia really
misleading TO speak OF the Montenegrln
army" as II II were similar TO an army
Of a civilized Power. TO speak of Monte
negro as a Kingdom" to speak OF It's
capital" Cettinje. its Archives" Its
King his palace" These words have
for us totally different meanings than
the pitiful insignificances they describe
in Montenegro.
The kingdom Is rocky mountainsides
and poor valleys inhabited by n race
Of brave. ignorant. poverty stricken. In
dolent warriors. few In number. unpro-
ductiyc of wealth OF all sorts, lacking
art. science. industries. Cettin1e IL a
dissereeahle. ugly village without one
picturesque structure in II. The King
Is a brave and able country gentleman.
poor but respected, who controls his
n%cighbors because OF their respect for
him. His palace ~ a reasonably good.
rather big farmhouse, almost without
ornaments, certainly without any beauty
or impressivencss. The army ia q mass
of fighting men, arranged In neighbor-
hood groups, who obey orders when II
suits them and know quite AS much as
the officers who are unfortunate enough
TO be placed in positions OF responsible
ity over them. There were not more
than a dozen technically trained fighters
in the whole Montcnegrin army during
the first Balkan war there certainly
are very few more now. Indeed. n so
per cent. Of the officers of the present
army can read and write their own
language 1t is surprising.
For any Of the Allies to expect this
little tribe TO check a serious advance
Of the Austrians Ia inexplicable. II
seems to prove ar utter stupidity, a
lack Of understanding Of essentials that
liz a more serious danger tina any OF
the disasters which then. the Allies. nave
sustained in the field up to the present
omen Bravery cannot win In war
to-day as It did when the greatest bat
tie was a series OF personal encounters
or duels W the men of the OPP
posing armies. As duellists the Monte
negrins cannot be equalled. for they have
notable courage. ave notable physical
strength. long training In facing death
with indifference. But as modern sol
diers. even In their own country. they
are useless against the forces that the
Teutonic allies can bring and are bringine
against them. That Montenegro could
hold out unaided against Austria was
an insane hope on the part of Italy and
the. Allies, a hope that Montenegro prob.
ably did not share. The disappearance
Of the last yestige of Montenegro rests.
tance. the Ana complete conquest, OF
Montenegro, Ia az good az accomplished
1t cannot be anything but II sign OF
serious weakness on the part az tho
Allies. whether It was unlocked for oi
foreseen. but beyond their power TO pre,
vent. Arthur MOORE.
GREENWICH, Conn. January "a.