Arizona republican., 1919-01-03
BRAVE SERBIAN
 HERE, TELLS IF
 H|SLAND RUINED
Decorated For Gallantry In Action, Officer Who Re cruited Countrymen In U.
 $. Is Resting In This City

fDs 4O LII AAAA1 NAS,' Wearing six decorations for bravery in action and heroic conduct, and with six years of service in the Serbian army through three wars to his credit, Lieutenant Captain Petar PerunoVich of the Serbian army is a guest in Phoenix, enjoying a needed rest and awaiting orders from his government. Captain Perunovich has spent the last year in the United States as a member of the Serbian War Mission.
 During the months he has spent in this country, Captain PerunoVlch has played a large part in sending back to Serbia, 10000 volunteers, recruited from Serbian settlements in the United , States. Most of them are now on the Serbian front, reoccupying their native land. and some of the most heroic deeds performed by the Serbian army in the world war are credited to these same American volunteers. While re- cruiting volunteers, Captain Peruno- Nich travelled from end to end of the United States, and has received much attention in almost every large city in the country.
 Sitting in his room at the Hotel Adams last night, Captain Perunovich told reporter for The Republican some of the awful privations and sac rfices the war has cost Serbia. Cap tain Perunovich speaks but little Eng fish, out the greater part of his story was intelligible to the writed Part of the conversation was carried with the aid O., an interpreter.
 Q Captain is Modest
 Although Captain Perunovich has served at the front through the Bal kan wars of 1912 and 1913. and through the world war until the last of 1917 a his own experiences were modestly omitted from his story and he dealt with general conditions. The visitor could see, however, the six medals for gallanry which Captain Peruno- vich wore, and later the captain men toned casually that he had been wounded five times in engagements with the Hun armies.
 My country is one of liberty" said Captain Perunovich. "Now it is one of destruction. Almost everything has been taken away by the invaders, and the rest has been destroyed. Serbia is more nearly ruined from the war than any country of the allies.
 The Austrians, Germans and Bull garians have burned or destroyed practically all Serbian schools and libraries. They have tried to burn all Serbian books aI.d literatures. They have destroyed all Serbian historical monuments and churches; they have footed everything, even the altars. Al most all villages, towns and cities have been destroyed"
 Heavy Toll of Lives
 Captain Perunovich called attention to the fact that the war has cost Ser bia in lives alone more than two and hale million of her population in cluding those who died of sickness and privation and who exceeded in number those who died in battle. Both cholera and influenza have added a 'heavy toll to the little country's other losses.
 "Serbia's worst days were in 1915, Captain Perunovich continued. Then a million German and Austrian troops ,Were concentrated against the Serbian army of hardly 100000 men, and the nation was almost crushed.
 Tn November of that year the Ser bian army evacuated their country under the united thrusts of the Aus trian-German forces on the north and the Bllgarians on the east, and retired southward into Albania. With the army went tens of thousands oi refugees from the civil population During that long retreat through tht snow covered mountains more thar half of the Serbians perished of colo and hunger and sickness
 Tells Terrible Tales
 Captain Perunovich related severa instances of the terrible conditions un. der which the fleeing refugees made their way to safety. All along thu road from Serbia to Albania the wal was stGewn with dead and dying sol diers old men, women and children unable to go farther on account O % starvation and freezing. Many of thu women carried little children in theil arms, and the babies died with theil mothers. Captain Perunovich, who was among the troops who made thC terrible retreat told of one case h. witnessed personally of a mother wht carried two children, one of whom wa! sick. Nearing exhaustion. the woman threw away the ill child that sh' might have strength left to save tn well one. Like scenes were enacted in almost every mile of the march. After passing through Albania, th' refugees scattered. part gong around Greece by ship to Saloniki, where par of the Serbian army joined the F'rencl and British forces on the Macedonian front Thousands of refugees found shelter on the Isle of Corfu, and il one grave on that island 10000 Ser bians are buried. paying the price o the pavations and cold they had t endure. Now people of all the allied nations go to the island to see tn great grave, while the Serbian ant Albanian country traversed in the re treat has been given the fitting nam, of the Serbian Tragedy"
 Red Cross Their Salvation
 The people who remained in thei