Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-08-17

then almost sightless and hard of
hearing and was under the con
slant care of a physician
When the fortunes of war turned
against the Serbians he remained
with his armies till practically the
last units had been driven from the
country. He then effected an ESCAPE
through Albania and went to Salon
Xxi where he presided over the re
organization Of his forces After
ward he went to Corfu where he es-
tablished headquarters and took an
active part in the direction of his
nomadic government.
Forced from his capital, Belgrade.
and thence from Nish by the ad-
Vancins army of the Central Powers
in 1919. his country laid waste by
hre and shell, Peter lived to return
to Serbia and engage actively in the
reorganization and reconstruction of
his domains. From the beginning of
the conflict. the aged King encour-
aged his troops and people despite
the most depressing reverses and on
several occasions personally led tie
Serbs into battle
An invalid. self-imposed exile in
Greece. his son Alexander. took his
/ fathers place as commander of the
army Alexander wa slater desig-
mated Prince Regent by the elder
harageorgevitch and on November
~, l9lS. the National Council of
Jugo-Clavia at Agram, Croatia, con
frmed the choice, thus relieving the
venerable King of the rulership of
Serbia Montenegro. Slavonia. Bos-
MA, Herzegovina. Dalmatia and
Croatia. which had united after their
liberation from Austria.
Early in 1919 the aged king was
removed to a quiet retreat near
Athens, Greece, where he lived in a
+ email siX-room house overlooking
the Bay of Phaeleron A personal
secretary and his physician were his
! only companions He had only one
| diversion. an occasional early morn
ing ride around the Greek capital in
| the size car of a motorcycle driven
by Serbian soldier. To avoid the
gaze of crowds he disguised himself
! Later his health became so feeble
that he passed most of his time in
bed or wheel chair.
when correspondent for the
Associated Press called to see him in
May 1919, the king consented to car
ry on conversation only through
the person of the Serbian minister TO
greece 1t was the last interview
granted by the former ruler of the
SERBS, CroatS and Stevens To meet
his long cherished wish that he
might die on his native soil. the Ser
pian authorities in 1920 brought the
/ Invalid king back to his beloved Bel
grade. He avoided society, however
and kept aloof from all court and
public functions.
hlng Peter was tall, erect and
muscular and in spite of his age had
the appearance of a much younger
man. He had all the rugged quail
ties OF one sprung from the soil'
wrote one biographer. He took
: PRIDE IN referring to his humble orr
gin and throughout his life lived
modestiy and unostentatiously. He
was extremely democratic and af
fable. His tastes were simple to the
point OF severity. He was beloved by
/ MS people, particularly the peas
antry, who called him Father Pc
ter
But his royal career was beclouded
by grave and terrible tragedy-the
assassinations of his predecessor.
King Alexander and the latter's wife.
queen Dragain the palace at Bel
grade on June 10, 1903. A suspicion
that members of the Karageorvitch
family of which Peter was a mem
per- were implicated in the conspir-
acy which exterminated the rival
ruling Obrenovitich dynasty of