The Washington times., 1925-06-27
St ABAN:S To
MARK SERB
HISTORY
= HHt
Envoy and Staff WIN Attend
celebration OF Battles
Anniversary

At the request of the Serbian
Legation, the anniversary Of the
battle Of Kossovo, which was fought
June 2S, 1888, VIII be celebrated at
the. regular service in Bethlehem
Chapel Of WRshingto Cathedral at
/ II O'Clock tomorrow.
Doctor Ante Tresich -Pavfchich,
Serb Minister. will attend with his
staff. The Serbian flag will be
leafried IN the procession beside the
American flag. The cathedral choir
will sing the Serbian national an
them, God, Of. Justice, Thou Who
saved Us AVhen In Deepest Bond
age Cast.
The. Reverend Doctor william L.
DeVrfes, canon and schancellor OF
the cathedral, win preach.
Among the guests Of honor, in.
addition to the Serbian minister
will be Doctor Marinovitch, first
secretary; tMousler Branko-Adjeno-
Witch, second secretary and Madame
Mrs. GQfaensG orden Smith and other
members Of the legation staff.
The cefebrafi0h 81 the Anniyer.
sary 3 0f the battle Of Kossovo by
THE Serbian people as its national
festival Is IN one respect unique.
The Serbs are the only people who
commsm0rafe q battle in which the
nation went down to defeat.
81 The reason for this Is that the
herOisTn displayed by the nation
at KOssovo was such that their
defeat Is considered as glorious as
any victory could have been. For
centuries the Serbs had upheld the
Cross against the Crescent, making
living rampant Of their bodies
against the march of the Turks.
But In 1889 the Sultan Amurstth I
assembled mighty army and
advanced once fmore to the assault
OF Christianity. The Car Lazare
rallied his people In arms and
advanced to meet the Turks on tina
ted OF Kossovo twlliche means
field Of blaclxbirds'J. Here, on the
zsth OF JunN $50 years ago, was
fought one Of the most desperate
battles In history. Though hope
lessiy out numbered, the Serbs bas-
The. Car Lazare himself fell at
the head Of his troops and with
him fell the flower of Serbian
nobility. Bogdan Jugovitch, one
OF the national leaders. and his.
tnfield.
No episode In the history of the
Serbian race has. so inspired the
poets.s and writer's as the battle OF
Kossovo. It forms the subject OF
hundreds OF national ballards ann
Golk-sOngs OF fnarvelIoIiA beauty,
which have been translated into d
score &c languages. These ballards.
and the memory Of the heroism OF
the. army OF the Car Lazare, kept
alive for many years the indomit-
able national spirit Of the Serbian
race. Their one desire was again
to emulate the prowess Of thei..
sires in struggle for their liberia
ton from the Turkish yoke.
It was not till the beginning Of
the tenth century that the leaders.
KaraReorge, the founder OF the
present dynasty. and MiIosh Obreno-
witch, came to the front and led
their people in q successful revolt.
By the middle Of the nineteenth GEN.
fury the last vestiges OF the Turk
lsh rule had disappeared and the
serbs had recovered their ma.
tiona1 independence. In the war
against Turkey in 1912 Macedonia
was redeemed.
But the task was not yet finished.
There still remained their brothers
ln-race under the Austrian yoke.
Their liberation was achieved by the
world war and today the whole
Serbo-Croat race is united in tie
Kingdom Of the Serbs, Croats and
Slovenes under the scepter Of King
Alexander Garageorgevitch.. the
worthy descendant Of the great ma
tional hero 10. whom Serbia owed
her liberation. That is why Kos.
sovo Day is the greatest day in the
national life of the Serbian race.