The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-04-01
INTIMATE VIEW OF KING
PETER OF SERVIA SHOWS
FEELING FOR BALKANESE

of the declining sun. AS the fisher
mems boats pass on their way to the
wharf, the men doff their caps and
the King sa1utes them in return. The
King and the correspondent, seated
on the bench, look out over the Gulf
of Eubea.
Like Lake Geneva" the sovereign
says, waving his hand at the water
and the distant mountains. Here we
are at Ouchy, and over there is the
Jura and France" He sits a while in
silence and then takes up again, aloud,
the theme of his thoughts. How
much she has done for us-France!
How much she has done for all the
worIdI Now she is taking our chill
dren to her deep bosom, to keep them
safe for US until after the war, that the
race Of Serbs may not die out.
For there, in Serbia, it is extermin-
alton, starvation, death. The women,
and the children who are the living
future of our dreams-a1 we have to
hold by to rebuild our nation after
the war-soon they will all be gone.
Make no rnistake-war is a brutal bus
mess here in the Balkans. We all of
US learned our war-making under the
Turk, and the women and children
have little chance. I. don't mean to
say they are massacred' or anything
like that, though that too has happen
ed. But refer now only to the fact
80
non-combatants, no organization to
look after them.
when the Austrians made their
first invasion of Serbia a year and a
half ago, they had no sanitary pro
visions even for their. own men. Most
of their own wounded died. because
they could not be properly taken care
of. How much relief could an army
like that afford to a starving civil
population, like the population of Ser
bial to-day?
mo; it is only your compatriots who
can help US in this hour of our need.
And they are doing it, God bless them!
But there is need of SO imuch-so
much!'' The old mans head sank on
his breast. His eyes closed YEARLY.
1t was as if his soul had left the
bent, worn, pain-racl<ed body and
flown over the far mountains to his
own people.
eff only they had come a little
sooner, our AIIies!'' he went on. 81
used to tell my men: Hold on! Just
a little longer. They have said they
will come and they will comet And
they believed me and held on. -
"You know, we couldn't even see
the Germans. It was all artillery
machine-made war! My men used to
grind their teeth and the tears would
run down their poor, thin faces, and
they would say: If only we could
just get at them! We would show
them!'
eAnd then. as rode by their lines,
could see them shaking their heads
and nodding at me and whispering
among themselves. Poor old king!'
they were saying: he still believes the
Allies will come in time to save us!'''
Suddenly the King gave little,
hoarse inarticu1ate cry. His hand
went up to his throat. His head fell
back. His body collapsed in a limp
heap. Doctor Simonovitch rushed
up with a bottle in his hand. Colonel
Todorovitch lifted the fainting mon
arch in his arms like a child fallen
asleep.
Slowly consciousness returned King
Peter drew a long breath and looked
about him, dazed. With his two arms
he gently pushed away the doctor and
the soldier. Turning to the CORE
spondent, shyly, as one ashamed of his
weakness, he gasped:
N"FPm-sorry, beg your pardon!
Sometimes - sometimes think am
not very strong.'' He rose slowly,
! painfully. Leaning on the arm Of
fColone1 Todorovitch, he made his way
to the hotel. At the top of the steps
he turned, drew up his slight body to
its full height, snote his teels, togeth-
er so that the spurs clicked, and rails
ed his hand smartly to the visor of his
cap. ~
- sSay to the people of your great
country, Sir, that Peter Karageorge-
witch sa1utes them!''