Evening star., 1922-05-01
JUG0S[AV KINGDOM
IN NNEED0F U:S.CASH
Country Rapidly Uniting in
Spite Of Differences
Among People.
BY A. r.. DECKER.


Special Correspondence Of The Star and ChIca 20
Daily News.
AAGREB, Jugoslavia. March 3d.
Just how consolidated, is the Jugo
Slav kingdom should interest Amer
lea, for Americans are going to be
asked to subscribe to loans to pro-
vide funds for building railroads in
Jugoslayia. The Balkans constitute
a pig' and undeveloped area. 1t is a
land rlch In hides grain, minerals,
wine, pork and fruit. There viii be
need for large amounts of capital.
| which will not be forthcoming unless
the security of the Jugoslav state is
certain. The contract which the
foundatlon company expects to get
for a large mileage of new road.
The Jugoslav kingdom Is COM
| posed of the Serbs, Croats and Slo-
venes. all told population of about
fourteen million. Jugoslavia is for
tunate in one way in having only a
small number of inhabitants of other
than Slav races. There are only
few thousand Albanians, a few thou
sand Italians. a few Thousand Hun,
garians and perhaps 100000 Germans,
the last nearly all separated from
any German state. Jugoslavia runs no
danger because of its minorities
To bring harmony among the Slavs
themselves is the big problem, and 1t
IS being solved rapidly. The Serbs.
the Croats and the Slovenes have
During four centuries the Serbs were
under the Turks. During six centu-
rfes the Croats and Slovenes were
under Germans or Italians. The Serbs
are adherents to the Orthodox
are nearly all Catholics. During the
war the Serbs fought with the allies.
Wnlle the CroatS and Slovenes, against
their will, were enrolled in the Ger
man ranks. The Serb Is the fighter |
who liberated JugUslavia; the Croats !
and Slovenes are workers and adminis-
traitors.
Thus, while springing from the same |
stock, these peoples have had diff
ferent education, and have different |
traditions. The difference is shown |
in all their activities. Belgrade is an
interesting, but backward Balkan |
town, while Zagreb is a modern place
of industry and art.
These differences in evolution have |
Hungarians and Germans to bring |
discords to Jugoslavia, but without re-
suit, since the railroad strike of 1920.
More interesting is the peasant |
movement led by Stephan RadiScH |
or Radio. Stephan Radio has a fol- |
lowing of more than $4,000 in Croa- !
tia. He is interesting because he IL
lustrates the type of demagogue |
which takes such an important part |
in central European politics Some |
claim that Radio gets his inspira- |
tion from Hungarian gold, but it is
more reasonable to believe he is just !
plain demagogue.. l talked with |
him in his home in Zagreb, after |
looking for him in vain in his pros |
porous bookshop in the center of the |
city.
Radio is not the rough peasant he |
has often been painted. He does not
go about in top boots and an en-
broidered vest. He is a small book |
seller. who has read and studied. In
explaining his views he talked !
French volubly enough to compete |!
/ Radio pointed out to me the diff !
ferences between the Serbs and |
Croats and said he was out to fight
for local rights-federation and not
Capitalization. He claimed the Serbs
wish to rule and not let any one else
in on the political decisions.
He says that he Is a pacifist but
he could raise a large army, If neces-
sary. First, If necessary, he said he
would file claims with the neutral
block and the league of nations. On
further consideration he said he had
become a sincere pacifist, and that
there would be no fighting, but if the
Serbs did not grant them local rights
the Croats would organize with the
Slovenes, Boznians, Albanians. Mo-
hammedans and Macedonians against
Belgrade.
Radio cannot be ignored entirely,
because he has nearly fifty deputies |
with him, elected upon his platform |
But his movement is localized around |
Zagreb. He does not constitute q |
serious danger to The Jugoslav kingdom. |