Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-12-26
HOW U.S.. MONEY
HELPED IN SERBIA
Story Is Told Of Buigars' Butehery
Upon Unhappy People Of Little
Conquered Balkan Country.

Corfu. Island of Corfu (Staff Cor
resp0ndence of the Associated Pressl
-"The funds advanced to Serbia by
The United States government are
saving the lives Of The Serbian peo-
ple," said the Serbian minister Of pub
lie works, DR. Monticello NinLchich,
who has been charged with the ex
penditure OF the advances from the
American government.
DR. Nintchitch had been telling Of
the various uses the American money
was put to, for the 10000 Serbian
prisoners in Germany and for in
termed civilians. refugees and pen
sions But now he turned to a story
Of the cruelty and butchery which
the Bulgars are still prosecuting
against the Serbs.
Serbia has suffered more than any
other country" said DR. NintchitCh,
for not even the ruin of Belgium and
the devastated regions Of France can
compare with what Serbia has sue
fered. The people of Belgium and
France had seaports to go to and es-
cape in ships and they had railways.
But the Serbian people had no ports
for escape aId when the Monastir
railway line was cut by the BuIgars
they had no railway So they were
literally caught in q trap, with no
means of egress and except for those
who made the exodus across the
mountains, the whole peasant popu-
lation has come under the control of
the Bulgar invaders. Moreover Bel
gium and France have been under the
eyes of England and America. while
| Serbia is cut off from the world, with
no knowledge of what goes on there.
and no mail from there for two years.
THE Serbian peasants have been
stripped Of everything. All their
! horses, cattle and live stock has been
taken and their machinery has been
destroyed. Men, women and children
/ have been killed In the most revolt
! ing manner and On the most flimsy
uretext In this the Bulgars GO far
/ beyond the Austrians, for the Aus
| TRANS have d trial and a formal con-
domination TO death. But the BuIgars
/ have no trial or condemnation. The
ordg to kill is given and the soldiers
are practically free to take life on
/ their own judgment without any or
der"
AS documentary evidence of this
! killing, the Serbian ministry Of for
eign affairs have had photographs
copies Of which were given to the
/ correspondent showing six Serb
peasants strung up side by side from
trough stakes driven in the ground
with a cross piece above for the
moose, while groups of soldiers and
officers are gathered about, laughing
over the contortions Of the victims.
THE Bulgar policy Is to consider
! Serbia and the Serbian people as an.
initiated" Dr. Nintchitch went on
/ "TO>thts end they hold that the Serbs
nc longer exist and every Serb mus
! become a Bnlgar, take a Bulgar namt
and become a Bulgar citizen.
Our minister of war. General Ter
2itch. has just gone through trying
family experience of this kind. HI,
aged mother. over 60 years old, re
NAMED In Serbia after the exodus, a,
she was TOO old and feeble to max,
! the Journey All trace Of her had beer
lost. but when she was finally located
General Terzitch applied through thy
relief authorities for her transfer
But to this application the reply ha
now come back from the Bnlga
authorities that Nine. Terzitch canno
leave the country rs she had becom
I q Buigar citizen.
"Ihe drafting Of Serb peasants a
soldiers IN the Buigar ranks is on
3f the worst forms OF cruelty beinl