Evening star., 1928-10-21
BY A. r. DECKER.

Karageorgevitch is King Of the
Serbs, but he has not yet been
IL crowned King of the SerbS
Croats and Slovenes. A few
years ago there was much talk of a
MAGNIFICENT corona ton ceremony to b.:
held in zagreb. but no one speaks now
Of a coronation. There are two rea-
sons for this One is that coronation
carried out in a way to impress all con-
cerned would cost large sum. more
than the budget would stand. The
other reason Is that the branches of the
Jugoslav family are not yet sufi-
GENTLY united to warrant a corona
ton Indeed. there Is more talk of
separation than Of union.
There is perhaps third but minor
reason for indefinitely postponing the
coronation ceremony. This reason Is
the decreasing effect Of the glamour Of
'the king business" in general King
Alexander is indeed more popular 49,
more respected than ever. but this
popularity is more because of his per-
sonal character than his position.
Kings have never worn very bright
halo in Serbia. The Serbs are repub-
lican by nature and entirely democratic
in their ways. The CroatS are mora
monarchistic than the Serbs. But King
Alexander is secure in his palace; there
is no movement on foot to unseat him.
Indeed. he is an exponent of the union
Of the southern Slavs King Alexander
Is the bridge builder joining the Serbs,
Croats and Slovenes.
King Is Active Worker.
The King is no passive agent sitting
calmly while things happen in his king
dom. He Is an active worker and q
. careful and we'll advised politician III
q land where politics iavors everything.
Apparently moved by realization OF
his broader interests in genuine Jugo-
slavia, the King does not identify him.
self with any party. He has conslsf
entity based his actions on strict legality
He adheres to the constitution as literal
" as possible The political party or
combination which receives the major
ity in the Sk'lpshtina is recognized by
the King as the party or combination
in control.
But this does not prevent the King
from trying tn bring about general
,Jueoslav party as opposed to control by
q local party. The tendency in Jugo-
slevia is toward fighting for control
bv the different regions. For instance.
although Nicola Pasitch. the Bismarck
of Jugoslavia. was the principal In
forming Jugoslavia. still Pasltch was
for a greater Serbia, not Jugoslav.a
and much less for a greater Jugoslavia.
including all the Slavs of the balkans.
Stephan Raditch. the Croat leaoer: was
for a greater Croatia. and not for a
centralized Jugoslavia. Pasitch had
control and wanted to keep it. Raditcn
vas fighting for control. Now both
Pasitch and Raditch are dead. The
Serb Radicals are solit and the Croatlan
Peasant party has been weakened. Inc
wav is open for the King to extend has
bridges and unite the Jugoslavs.
Secret Societies at Work.
The wsy is not entirely clear. for the
rarties remain and the cliques are very
strong The Serbs in Belgrade are not
going to yield the power and all OF the
special privileges which go with IL.
There are certain customs in the
Balkans which are very remunerative
to those who hold the key positions. It
is true these customs are not confined
to the Balkans. but 1t is in the Balkans
they are accepted as the understood
reward of success in politics.
The secret societies play an impo--
tant role. They are dangerous. and
even the King does not care to tamper
with them They typify the reckless.
bomb-throwing. revolyer-toting element
of the primitive Balkans. Some of
them are working for personal inter-
ests of the Camsrilla; others believe
they are ultrapstriotic. guarding Jugo-
slavia Some of them are local, others
are Jugoslav.
King Alexander twice tried to con-
struct real Jugoslav party. Both
attempts failed because of the Serbs
and the Croats. There is talk Of his
trying again. but sooner or later a
general Jugoslav party will be formed
end Jugoslavia will begin to realize its
union. The King has insisted upon
and obtained one thing. the army has
been kept out of politics. Even the
, Crcats are proud Of the army, and the
Serb generals are the best friends of
the Croats, in whom they see excellent
soldiers Also King Alexander has seen
to 1t that strategic rail lines were built
and the country prepared for defense.
AS commander of the Serb army dur
ing the war he learned the value of a
good army. But highways and me-
chanical tools of war have been neg
lected.
Queen Is Not Understood.
King Alexander lives a quiet life,
without much of the pomp and cere-
n1ony of royalty. Most of his time is
spent in two palaces In and near Bel