Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-31
AMERICALEADS
SAYS GRSKOVIC
Noted Speaker, in Address,
Asks Croatians to Be Loyal
TO, This Country

This war was begun by an autoc-
racy such as the world has never
known. and it is up to us, both you
and !. that 1T may become powerless
and never again dare to lay hands
on a peace-loving nation. The world
is inflamed in a great struggle that
out of the blood which is now being
shed a new world may come" de-
clared Don Niko Grskovic, president
of the Croatan League and noted
speaker, in an address at an enter
tainment by the Croatian Sokol in
Croatian Hall Saturday night
Shall we drop at these times or
. shall We assist with all our power
the struggle for democracy which is
being led by the Stars and Stripes?"
he continued.
He cited in detail the conditions in
Coata and in the Slovene lands under
the tyrannous rule of the Hapsburg
Monarchy and urged those present to
use theirA efforts in unitink the south
ern Slavs (Croatians, Serbs and Slo-
Venians) into q country of their own
to take their place as the free among
the free.
He urged those present to form a
local branch of the Croatian League,
which should only accept for mem
bership Croatians who are known to
be loyal to this country. An officer
of the Sokol stated this morning that
steps will be taken Immediately to af-
ftct an organization and an announce
ment will be made very shortly.
The entertainment was for the BEN
eft of the Croatian war sufferers and
was attended by goo persons.
Aside from being head of the Gro
attain League, the speaker is mem
Der of the Southern Slav Committee
OF London and publisher of the
Southern Slav World at New York
The desire of all the southern Slavs
in Europe to be united and liberated
ha sexisted from the most ancient
times. In the seventeenth century
this idea became closely connected
with ther culture and political pro-
grams. Napoleon l attempted to ac-
complish it when he founded the
kingdom of Illyria out of the south
ern lands of Austria. 1t was renewed
in the movements for the national
restoration, from the napoleonic times
until the revolution of 1SiS; was
again taken up as n basis of the ma
tionaG culture and political programs
of the Prince-B Bishop of Montenegro
Michael and the Croatian Bishop
Stross mayer; it was prosecuted and
throttled during all that time by the
Austrians and Hungarians, but 1t re-
vived again when King Peter ascend
ed the Serbian throne, and with great
enthusiasm aroused the people after
the Balkan wars of 1912.
Because this idea, as a reaction
against the terrible pressure of Aus
tria-Hungary, was gaining more and
more strength among the Austrian
Southern Slaves, who in Serbia saw
an example of liberty and democracy,
Austria, in order to annihilate that
example and prevent a revolution at
home, provoked the conflict with Ser
bia and thereby caused this world s
confirmation, in which she drove more
than 100000 Southern SlaVs to night
against their own liberators. In that
war she not only devastated Serbia
but also tried to Systematically eX-
terminate her own South Slavic sub
jects, eXpelling from Bosnia -HerZego-
vina over 100000 families, looting the
property of tens of thousands of per-
sons, executing by hanging and shoot
ing over 10000 of her own South
Slavic subjects, dismissing all COM
munal authorities in Dalmatia- all So
cieties in all South Slavic lands, de-
stroying all the national monuments,
names, books, customs and imprison-
ing everything that was free and
everybody who could have led the
people.
However, a number of prominent
and fearless leaders of their people
found themselves in the beginning OF
the war in other countries of free
Europe. They succeeded in getting to-
gether and unfolded a program of
liberation and unification. forming the
South Slavic Central Committee in
London. This national program was
at the same time adopted by the Ser
bian government and by the Serbian
dynasty and parliament. Thousands
OF Austrian Southern Slavs deserted
to the Serbian side and. Joined the
Serbian army. and more than 100000
surrendered to the Russians. Half of
these are now organized as volun-
teed army covered itself with glory
and fought with splendid heroism at
Costanza in Dobrutcha. Many South
ern Slavs from both Americas and
other parts of the world are volun-
teers in this war for liberty, and all
our emigrant colonies are sending
large sums of money to support the
war sufferers and the political action
of the South Slavic Committee in
London.