Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1917-08-01
AUSTRIAN PLOTS IN
BALKANS AMAZING

ROME. August IA high officer
of the Serbian army who has Just
arrived here on sick leave. follow,
ing a bad attack of malaria fever. told
the correspondent of the international
News Service that Austrian diplomatic
Intrigues and plottings in the Bal.
kans, especially among the Serbian
and other allied contingents, are re-
sponsible for series of sinister
events about which the world has
heard nothing-tbanks to rigorous
censorship.
Among the events chronicled by the
officer, whose name | am not at lib.
erty to disclose for obvious reasons,
but whose high standing in the army
and King Peters court are in them
selves n guarantee of reliability and
unquestionable yeracity, is that of a
plot against the life of the Crown
Prince of Serbia, who owes his life
to the fact that the man detailed to
kill him missed the mark and was
in his turn shot down by one of the
Princes aides.
The plot against the Crown
Prince" the officer said. was Matched
in Serbia las, Inter among a mum
/ Der of officers and soldiers affiliated
with the Tzerna Ruka, secret so
ciety for the advancement of the
political fortune of its members, who
include a large number of civilian
state employees, besides the military
element with Austrian leanings. The
order to kill the Prince was sent tC
| the TZerna Ruka members at Salon
! Xxi and one day, several weeks ago
| three revolver shots were fired agains
Prince Alexander, while the latte
alighted from his motor car in on,
of the quiet streets of the city. Blu
the shots went wide OF their mari
and the Prince escaped absolutely un
hurt.
Following this attempt over 10t
officers and men were arrested by th'
English and French police, suspecte,
of being implicated in the plot, an
were Immediately transferred TO In
fortress OF Bizerta IN French Tuni
From official information received {
the Serbian court at Corfu, it
learned that up TO date the Serbia
court martial which is trying the me
has passed nearly twenty death Sc
tCnces, which have Immediately bee
executed. Among those who wei
:. shot was General PopovitCh, who WI
supposed to be the chief instigator
d the attcmp'.
"The investigation TO which the a
p tempted assassination led has di
. closed that the Tzerna Ruka was an
still is an organization literally su
sidized by the Austrian governmcn
During the trial II has also bee
brought TO light that the Tzerna Ruk
exercised powerful influence
shaping the foreign policy of Serb
especially during the negotiation
which Bulgaria in the latter par!
1914, that the organization acquire
of the government in 1903, and thj
: no more than one occasion its IN
chinations were openly inspired
? agents in the pay OF Austria's poll
@ cal police. During the latter part
( 1914 the Tzerna Ruka was unusual
g active in opposing every territori
:, concession to Bulgaria destined to !
;, sure the lattcrs neutrality in u
y conflict
Il "Thc attempt on the life OF Print
=. Alexander was 20 be followed by oi
& against King Nicholas ~ mUntenegr
d who seems to be stumbling blot
@ in the way OF kustria's program
d the Balkans, that is, the organizati'
OF a purely slav state, comprlsin
d among others, Serbia and Monter
d gro, to be later incorporated in {
Dual monarchy. The French Seer
Service has discovered that the
tempt on the life of King Nichol