The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-04-03
EMlEn KING LEADS
NERINAENnEE
Peter Of serbiais Recruiting
His Strength For a
New Effort.

(By Associated PresB)h Al

{By Associated Press)a5
AEDYPsos, Euber, Greece, Feb. II.
-(Correspondence OF the Associated
|Press).-The spot where King Peter
of Serbia is "'gathering strength to
march again at the head OF his men,"
as he putsit, might be one ofithey Greek
church monasterfes on Mt. Atho6, for
all the touch it has with the rest of
OF the world. Never easy Of access,
|Aedypsos in winter is completely cut
OF save by the intermittent services
of a Greek government tug which runs
from Stylis, on the main land opposite
to Aedypsos on the Island of Eubea.
Occasionally smaller coasting steam.
ers visiting the tiny ports Of the Gulf
OF Eubea and bound from Pireus or
Chalcts to Volo, stop at the wharf In
front of King Peters hotel. Now and
then a French or British destroyer
noses the shore long enough to dis
embark a messenger, or q British mine
seeker anchors for an hour or two
while its commander gets a whtskey
and soda in the deserted summer no.
tel.
Nothing could be %lonelier than the
life OF the King without a country. His
suite consists OF three of his country
men; big. genial Colonel Todocovitch,
his aid re camp: blackboard, silent
Captain Jukanoyitch, his secretary.
and Jolly old Or. Simonoy!tch, the roy
al physician. In addition, there are. on
behalf OF the Creek government. Lieu.
tenant Kolokotdonis and Sergeant
Koressi and. twenty Greek policemen
And that Is all. The little collection
OF umme villas and summer hotels
grouped around the hot springs OF
Aedypsos are empty. Their windows
art boarded up. They have that for
lorn air Of houses never really lived
mike Coney Island in midwinter.
The routine of each of the Kings
days is in deadly monotony. Regular
", as punctual as any clock, he rises
at half past three every morning,
takes his alkanline bath, and returns
to bed until half past four. At five
his day begins-"the habits Of a catn-
paigner," he says apologetically. Il
suppose I am too old to changed He
goes over the newspapers and reports
that are sent to him, answers letters
when they are any to answer, and
reads such commiques o.. the progress
of the war as reach him by telegraph.
81 wish people wouldn't write SO
.legib1y!" he complains. Their let
tiers are SO quickly read!"
When the mornirg post is over tand
as the post arrives only at rare uncer-
tain intervals it is often over before
it is begun, out ocme the various
maps OF the theatres OF the world
war. and the King without acountry
who IL also a general without an army,
and Colonel Todorovitch and Captain
.Jukanovitch pore over the hills and
rivers and plains OF France and Bel
GUM and Poland and Armenia and
the Trentino, following the armies
step by step.
But the maps OF Serbia are in a
heap at one side. No one ,unfolds them.
There are no military movements TO
follow in Serbia. Serbfas battles are
all fought. Finally every advance and
retreat and engagement, great
small, recounted In the communicates
has beer; marked and discussed "a
silence falls on the three men who sit
about the chart.covered table. IS II
1t were the staff table at army head:
quarters, the night before a battle:
The old King clears his throat
slowly rises. Leaning on his cane, he
hobbies to the trunk on which
maps OF his country lie piled. His
trembling, eager fingers unfold them.
and spread them out one by one, above
the others, covering over, blottlng out
the maps Of all the rest OF the world.
Serbia!
"-ah'I was Just thinking last night
about that little skirmish at Cupriji-
7ou remember, Berislav?' he says to
Colonel T%odorovitch. There was a
hill oyere here, and the road went up
this way But he does not look at
the map. And his blind old eyes could
not make out IL he did. He needs no
map-it Is all there in his head, ev-
cry battle, every regiment, every shape
of ground or turn of waterway-the
very names of the men who fought and
the villages they came from. Abroitly
he leads the others into a discussion
that regenerates the long row OF days
of triumph and despair that have made
his life.
Slowly he leads the talk around from
the past to the future. Nov, you see,"
he says, I'VE could send twenty thou
sand men up there and two divisions
over here. from this direction. The
French could send six divisions and
eight batteries of three-inch guns from
here to here. And the British. by
making a wide detour-" And he
fumbles over the map he cannot see,
asking Captain Jukanovitch to point
out this place and that, concentrating
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