The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1920-01-07
HORRORS IN SERBIA
Col Vanderbilt Tells Of Awful condl
tlors There

/ SOOu dlLeT the WISH 10 bBuuluB ION
several weeks ago of sergt. Ruth Far
aum local Serbian Relief Committee
was formed. The purpose Of this com.
mittee is primarily to secure clothing
| etc, for the needful Serbian children
ind their parents.
The committee Is this week endeav.
bring to pack box to be sent to
Serbia and it is earnest in. its appeal
o the people OF Bennington for con.
tr,butions. All articles should be sent
to the. basement Of the high school
as soon as possible.
That those who were unable to hear
Sergt. Farnum when she spoke here
may learn something of the conditions
in Serbia. be.ow is printed an article
by Cornelius Vanderbilt, who has re-
Gently returned from that country
Serbia is nation of gentlemen, =
| said Canon E. Sidney Savage the first
lime met him. Il liken Serbia to
! some OF your own States which you
think are inhabited by cut throats,
moonshiners, semi-barbarian, scheming
and treacherous people. Yet nothing
can be found in history since Serbia
s'RPN0A Cu III lit Dahhh VA b1li-
Ibe thousand years ago to warrant
such a picture Serbia is nation
which makes the brayest soldiers in
the world, and yet have never fought
a war Of aggression, who, fighting
fiercely TO the bitter end, are yet in
capable of holding a grudge against the
Blu garians themselves"
Canon Savage was for twenty-one
years rector of Hexton Abbey, North
cumberland, England. Born in 1862, he
was educated at New Castle, East
bourne, and at Magdalen college, Ok
ford. He was later curate at Magda-
len college, Oxford. He was later
curate at ST. James Doncaster, and
Vicar at st. Marks, at Barrow-on.
Fruness He married Sybil, daughter
OF the la-e Dean Farrar, whose name
is widely known and loved in England.
In 1895 he commenced to restore Hex
ton Abbey, which was founded In GA.
The crypt and apse of the historic
abbey were built on the stones of pa
gan atars, which date from the time
Of the Roman Emperor Agriccla, in
a. d rs. The abbey has the most
ancient Episcopal Chair in all Christ
endom. the chair in which the early
Saxon kings were crowned. Canon
Savage built the Abbey institute.
where he took care OF the clergy of
his district He is kncwn in England
as one of the greatest and most con-
scientious OF prelates. He Is writ
er Of much fame IN religious matters,
his Record OF Hexton Abbey" being
one OF the foremont books of its kind
on the market.
When the call came these things
were forgotten. They were all dear
to Canon Savage but the affairs of his
country were nose precious. Wher-
ever the bodies or the souls OF men
We're to be administered to, In Elan
ders in France, in Macedonia, in
Egypt and on the Mediterranean, his
sturdy figure became a familiar and
we come sight. When the enemy were
driven out of Serbia, Canon Savage
went there on thefinternatnioal Com.
mission to investigate the Bulgarian
atrocities. He trayersed the whole
country, through Dalmatia, Bosnia,
Herzegovina to Belgrade, up the Dan
ube and throughout eastern Serbia and
Salonica A few months ago he re-
turned to England, his heart afiame
and torn with pity for the helpless
little children of Serbia
He has came to America on speak
ing tour to plead for the many thous-
ends OF fa-herIess Serbian children
whose situation becomes more criti-
cal with the passing of each month.
Only chi ren OF strong and sturdy
constitutions have survived the priv
atoms and suffering of those dreadful
years OF Austrian and Bulgarian
cruelty Canon Savage was commits
stoned a Major in the Serbian army
by King Peter himself The Holy
Greek church decorated him with its
highest order, the Golden Cross with
the Double Chain. He wears his de-
corations as we'll as numerous others,
suspended from about his neck. When
saw Canon Savage he was dressed
in the uniform Of Serbian major
His uniform. he said, had attracted
much interest wherever he went. On
Broadway, which he has named that
"dazzling battling, bewiIdering place
he was taken for a Turkish officer
in Philadelphia he was ask
ed what show he represented. AI
methodist Episcopal pastor TO use
hts own words. once introduced him as
Dear Brother" He had been called
an Irishman, Norwegian and a
Welshman None of these is true. He
was born in England and has been
actively connected with divinity in
that country ever since,
THE Serbian flag is the most tear.
stained, blcod-coyered flag in the
world, continued Canon Savage
You know nothing in America about
the real conditions in Serbia. From
the first day of the war until the last
day the Serbian territory was constant
ly under the heel of the Teuton ma
ticns. The Kaiser's dream was to-
take Belgrade His orders were to
spare no one. The population of the
nation was to be exterminated. For
five whole years Serbia knew nothing
of what was going on in the wcrld out
side of her own territory She was