Imperial Valley press., 1923-01-27
Visiting Celebrity Tells of Thrilling
Rescue Work in War-Ravaged Serbia;
Tells of Death March of $4,000 Boys

FL Centre is entertaining an inter
csting personality this week in
Professor r. r. Johnston, director
of the State Institution for the
Feeble Minded at Vincland, New
Jersey, who is spending some time
in the valley visiting his brother,
George +. Johnston, prominent
grape grower in the Meloland dis
trict. For % years, Professor John
st0n has been at the head of this
Institution, which is considered one
of the most modern Of its kind in
the country, and because Of his eX
periences with children and recon
struction work, he was chosen as a
.nemher of the American Commits
siQn to Serbia, to assist in the re
ilabiiitatlon of that unfortunate
rOuntry following the World War.
as token Of the country's
appreciation for his services,
he wears the insignia of the
Order of Saint Sava, conferred up
On him by King Alexander OF Jugo-
Slavia, IF which country old Serbia
is now part.
In speaking of his WORK IN Serbia
yesterday, Professor Johnston SAID
that at the conclusion of the World
War, the FLIGHT of the people of that
country was pitiable, only six loco
motives being left in the entire
country for the hauling of food,
clothing and shelter, and not Il
bridge or culvert >on the railroad
systems that was not DESTROYED. For
four long years Serbia was the bat
lie ground eff the armies Of Austria
Hungary, Turkey and Bulgaria on
one side ard Serbia, Russia and the
Smaller Balkan countries GU The
other.
In Serbia II I4lonLls
The American Commission to Ser
bia arrived in that country i'll 1919,
snd Immediately took up the work
which had been started by the
American Red Cross, bat which that
organization was forced to rein
quish, because the period of ener-
gency for which the Red Cross Is
organized had passed. The com
mission at once opened schools, hos
pitfalls, civic centers, health clinics,
supply depots and similar agenciea,
all operating in conjunction with
the various departments OF the Scr
bian governement. For IA months
Professor Johnston worked III Ser
bia, helping to bring order out OF
chaos, aud when he left. had the
satisfaction of knowing that Serbia
was on its feet once more and would
within few years, as the prosper
Gus kingdom of Jugo Slavia, take
the place it formerly occupied IN
The activities of the world.
Discussing the Serbian people,
Professor Johnston said they are
Wonderful people, bright, intelligent
and peace lovingI though with an
excellent reputation for fighting,
He believed it lathe only country
that celebrates the anniversary of a
battle in which IT'S armies were de-
feated, a day similar to our Fourth
Of July being observed each year
in memory of a battle with the
Turks over 800 years ago, in which
every member of the Serbian army
was killed. Their love for the Amer
lean people, and appreciation OF
what has been done for them in
their time of need is beautiful to
know about, he said, and every,
where the American Commission
went, it received the support and
encouragement of grateful people.
Tells of Children g Retreat
4 An incident of the horrors Of the
war for the Serbian people was
what is called the "Children Re
treat - which Professor Johnson ex-
planned as follows: In former wars
with the Turks, the Serbian people
had often experienced the terrible
tragedy of having their young boys
captured by the Turks: These boys
instead Of being killed, were taken
into the Turkish army and were
known, as "Janizaries, and were
used by the Turks when they grew
older, to fight against their native
country, having been proselyted to
Mohamedanism during their years IN
Turkey. In order to avoid the cap
ture of such boys in the World War,
they were modified in camps and
Kept under the protection of the
Serbian army. In the debacle fol
lowing the invasion of the country
by the Austrians from the north and
the Turks from the south, the boys,
to the number of 10000 started for
the coast of Dalmatia under poor
leadership, and only 10000 ever
reached the refuge of the allied
forces on the island of Corfu. The
other 10000 perished on the jour
ney to the coast and for months
their skeletons lay all through the
mountainous region along the coast
and hundreds of their bodies, pick
cd up on the coast, were buried by
the British Red Cross. The 10000
We're in pitiable state when they
We're picked up, and only 5000 of
them were ever brought back to
Serbia. The death loss of that
country because the war has been
estimated as high as 20 percent, and
the loss in destruction of property