The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-12-15
SERBIA, DESPERATE,
LOOKING TO AMERICA
BY AUGUSTIN LARDY


New York. Dec. 14---Serbian en-
voys To the peace conference In Paris
refused TO sign the peace treaty be-
cause OF Serbian dread of Italy. to-
night declared Colonel William Hart
ven Grassy, medical director OF the
Serbian relief committee of America
who today returned from Serbia where
he has been the past four years.
Terribly afraid of 1talys inten-
tiona of gobbling her up eventually"
said Dr. Greasy who wears the uni
form of colonel In the Serbian army
"the people of Serbia are a unit In
being at loggerheads with the italians.
The preservation of the integrity OF
their fearless little nation is their
chief concern. Their secondary worry
is how to find food for the half mil
hon orphans in that country where
the war has cut the population from
five million TO 100000.
The restitution in Serbia lis fright
FUR said the colonel The hope OF
the nation lies in America. That Is
why I have returned 10 take part in
the drive of the Serbian committee for
SO. 900 for medical supplies, food
and clothing for the Serbian children.
The campaign begins Monday
The medical man asserted that Ser
scene OF devasta ton. Hardly viii
lage has escaped razing by the Bull
Eariars, Austro -Hungarians and the
Germans Death walks through the
land in the wake of famine and fever.
STRIVING. ravacc by disease, the peo-
pie are returning to their country from,
the mountains to which they fed be-
fore the German troops. Thousands
OF women and children who were
s.frs txyf
freed from the prison camps and are
making their way hack 10 the home
land In long lines of hunger bitten
shoeIess pilgrims.
NO BRIDGES LETT
Bread. Bread. Is their cry" said
the colonel tonight. And there &,
ma bread TO be had They strive to
eat a mixture of grass. chan and n
little coarse grain. They ARE shelter
less The remnants of whole village
populations sleep i'm the bitches as
they ptod back - their native placea.
There Is absolutely no sanitation anu
typhus is killing of the nation lik.,
files are killed by the br.atii of win :
ter. r.
When the Germans. Buigarians and
Austrians reiterated. they left not n
bridge behind them There are no
means of Transportation. All the cat
tie that was not killed by the enemy
was driven out of the country war
has Scared the lana SO that it viii be
Years before ssricu!ture--the chief in
dustry of Serbia is resumed with any
success. The greet WOODEN factories
have been blasted ard the meat and
pork packing houses have been RACED
--even II there was meat to be had
/ And yet. despite the destltution ~
the country, the people are closely
welded patriotic unit behind their
lktng--Pe'er. and their Crown Prince
! Alexandar. Nor IL there any chance
ever becoming republic, They love
! their rulers. those Serbians. Prince
Alexander in particular Is beloved as
! the handsome. democratic young man
that he is The form of government
may he nonsrchial. but the govern
'nent itself Is highly democratic. Al
! though half the ma ton has been dcci-
mated by war. Serbia, just about the
size ~ the state OF Illinois lis willing
To fight lust as furiousiy as ever Tor
its independence"
The sneaker said that in belgrade
the capital the one thought OF the
government md the ropulace is that
America win come to Serbias rescu.
rs she aided Belgium. France. Poland
and other countries