The Alaska daily empire., 1918-05-16
LOOPING IN SERBIA.

Serbian Correspondent in the San Francisco Serb
 ian HeradD
 In 1880 the Bulgarian Tsar Mhailo Sisman (Mi- chael Shshman), in alliance with the Greek Elm peror Andronikos IT., attacked the Serbian King Stefan Uros (stephen urosh) with the object. as ne said of 'placng his throne in Serbia. All the pleading of Stefan Uros to Mhailo Sisman to avoid the war were useless. The fighting took place on the frontier of Serbia and Bulgaria. near Kustendil (Kustendji), which is today in Bulgaria. The vic tory of the Serbs the Bulgars great that even the Bulgarian Tsar fell in battle. There after Bulgaria lost all importance, but thanks to the very humble petition of the Bulgarian nobility, and to the of the good and pious Serbian king, it not, at that time, annexed to Serbia but only became dependent on Serbia.
 Bulgaria never recovered her position. In her weakened condition she quietly under the sway of the Turks, by whom she was ensaved until again created state by the help of Russia, in 1878.
 At the time of the Bulgarian attack in 1880 Stef- m Uros III, building the majestic monastery De- cani, south of Pec which was the best monument of Serbian architecture. After the he completed this monastery and dedicated it to God as a sign of thankfulness for the victory the Bulgars. After it was completed Stefan Uros III, was named "Decansk" and to this day he is almost always re- ferred to by that name. In this monastery he was buried and later he canonised there His sacred body rests there to this day, and each year, No vember 1th feast is held in his honor.
 Decani of the greatest of Serbian relics, not only during the time of Serbian independence, but also during the regime of the Turks 1t is also known because the Serbian literature which flourish ed there, great number of Serbian classics origin atng there
 Serbian monarchs vied with each other in making gifts to this monastery, and the monks in zeal in look ing after it's relics monuments and wealth; and dur ing the rule of the Turks the Serbs in the neghbor- hood of Decani had organization and special "church-leader to look after the monastery. Even the wild Albanans of the neghborhood respected this Serbian relic From the fardstant Serbian tries from the neighborhood of the Balkan noun tans, from the countries the Save and the ube in Austria, from Bosnia Damatia and Mace doaa, the pious Serbian people to Decani to bow to the Sacred King.
 huge amount of wealth, in money and treas ure, accumulated in the monastery beginning with
 
 emperors down to the small gifts of feudal retain CTS Many manuscripts, books, and treasures of gold the monasterys wealth found in books relating to it e. Jurisic "Decansk, Prvenac" Belgrade 1858 is far from being complete All this wealth survived the troublous times of the five centuries under the Turks Now it has become the booty of Bulgarians and Austrians
 The Sofia paper, Narodni Prava (Juy 31) report ed that at the end of 1915 all the treasures con- tained in the monastery whether of great or small value had been removed to Bulgaria. and only the Ministry for National Education was in position to speak about them It appears, however that the bSars did not take all that the monastery possess ed mat IS quite clear from the controversy between Jenna ana Budapest papers as to who is to get the treasures found--Vienna Budapest
 The newspaper Novosti, of August G. in it's article "To Whom Will the Treasures of the Serbian Mon astery Beong?" contains the following statement
 Since it was heard from Serbia that the Austro- Hungarian armies have discovered treasures, to the value of some millions in the very old Decani Mon astery quarrel has taken place between the Austri an and Magyar Press regarding the rights to these treasures As the antiquities in these treasures are very rare, commission appointed by the Court Museum, has started from Vienna in order to choose what they wish. But their intention will hardly be carried through as the Magyar Press maintains that Serbia is undoubtedly closely connected with hungary than with Austria, and that this treasure therefore belongs to their 'Nemzeti Museum" There IS no doubt that great discussion will take place be- tween sclehuhc men over the question of this very famous monastery"
 So Bulgars and Austrans committing sacri- iege over Serbian relics, and destroying the leg fha foitl, ment necessary on this barbarism?