Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1921-06-21
CHILL BORA BLASTS
HANDICAP CROATIA
Proposed Peasant Congress
interests Immigrants Who
Came to United States.

"A brief cable item concerning a
proposed peasants congress in Croatia
may seem remote to many Americans,
but 1t is home news for some hun
dreds of thousands of Croatians and
their kin in the United States" says
a bulletin from the Washington head
quarters of the National Geographic
Society.
Before the world war the emf
grafton stream from Croatia flowed
from Fiuple and Trieste as con-
stantly as the water trickles through
and under the limestone plateau Of
the harst region. noteworthy ply
seal feature of Croatia. 1t is be-
cause parts of Croatia are barren of
soil that the indigenous human prod
uct had to transplant itself to sub
ssist.
Bora Symbolizes History.
Another physical feature of Croa-
tia the bora, a violent northeast
wind that sweeps down the Adriatic
coast from the back country plateau,
seems Symbolical of the country's his
tory. 1t has been said that Croatia
was TO Hungary what Hungary was
10 the fallen dual empire. For CEN
turtles Croatia struggled to throw OF
the yoke of the Magyar domination.
OhC SHoulu nol COnCIuUe lnaC CTO-
atia is barren or desolate. To the
northwest is the majestic range which
gives to the region the nickname OF
troatIan Switzerland. The plum
brandy 'Slwowitz. betokens the luxu-
RANT orchards Of Slavonia- For the
fun title of the present component
part of JuGoslavia which formerly
vas crown land Of Hungary Is
Croatia and Slavonia, having an area
twice that of Massachusetts, and two
Thirds the DDnulafl nn nf the Raw
Though Croatia and Slavonia u
rich in agricultural land and has vine
yards pastures and forests, lack Of
capital has handicapped commerce and
industry. Indeed. its southwest, rich
in forests and grazing land and 40
cessible to the sea, is accounted one
OF the least developed regions, eco
nomica1ly. in Europe. The chilling
do with the sparse population and
backwardness of this region.
Wine Cheaper Than Water.
Wine is cheaper than water in
some sections. A curious by-product
or the vineyards is the grape cure at
Hombor. sanitarium where the chief
prescription is stipulated ration of
the variety OF grapes held to be bene-
fetal for the ailment under treatment.
Croatia's chief city. center of her
politics and culture, is Zasreb, for
merly known better by it's German
Ahilcs aSEdiH mere IS a modern, busy
city, with art collections, a university.
parks and proportionately as many
statues, 1T would seem, as Washing
ton. For a thousand persons to gather
here IN a week en- route for a port to
set sail for America was no uncommon
event in pre-war times.
Each Town Has Costume
THE rural regions Of Croatia,
with an almost patriarchal or family
order of life, naturally betrays Gus
toms and costumes of remote genera
tons. AS one writer to the National
Geographic Society put it:
In Croatia, every village and
hamlet has its particular costume
So one who knows the countrysides
can tell at once the girl from Sussex
from the vineyard lassie of Zombor.
and she can tell you who has come
from OSulin. where the moss grows
heavy on the roofs, and who makes
her homo beside the P1itvica Iakea
the summer resort of all Croatia
"A handkerchief. not a ring. is the
engagement present of a Croatian
swain to his lady love. If he finds