Evening star., 1932-02-21
BY LEONID I. STRAKHOVSKY.

I'm the great number of interna-
tional events which have crammed
recent months the recent develop
L ments in the Balkans seem TO
have been overlooked. That part
of Europe which for long time was,
and perhaps still is. considered by en-
lightened statesmen as the key to
peace or war in the world Is under
going considerable change. OF the
countries that are situated on the Bal
kan peninsula, Jugoslavla is certainly
the pivot.
The old kingdom of Serbia has van
ished since the end of the World War,
but its spirit, nodded during CEN
turies of struggle against the Turks.
is still alive However, Serbia is now
only one composite part of the new
kingdom of Jugoslavla which unltes
ali the Southern Slavs That unity is,
at present, an accomplished fact. But
it took a number of years. patient
work and skillful direction to form
a new nation out of the three dis
parate elements of Serbs, Croats and
Slovenes.
Undoubtedly, the credit for this
accomplishment must go to Alexander
Karageorgievic. The son of Peter.
Alexander was born on December g.,
1888, in Cetinje. His mother, Zorka,
daughter of Prince Nicholas of Monte
negro, died soon after his birth, and
Young Alexander had to share with
his father exile life In Geneva, pc
cause at the time the throne OF Serbia
was occupied by the rival family OF
Obrenovic.
AS Alexander Obrenovic was then
definitely under Austrian influence,
Alexander's father decided it wise to
seek the support of Austria's rival in
the Balkans-RuSSia. So IN 1879,
Peter took his son to ST. Petersburg and
used the influence of his two sisters
in-laW both married to members OF
the imperial family, in order to nelp
the career of the future King OF Serbia:
Young Alexander was warmly received
by Emperor Nicholas II, and in 1904
was admitted by imperial command as
a student in the Corps des Pages, that
privileged military institution which
trained young noblemen for service IN
the guards.
Commission as Officer.
i After receiving his commission as
| an officer in the Russian Imperial
Army, Alexander returned to Serbia,
where great changes had taken place.
| bringing his father to the throne OF
| that old kingdom as the result OF
military conspiracy which cost the lives
of the King and his Queen. Being the
second son, Alexander apparently mad
no chance ever to become the ruler
| of his country, but in March. 1909,
after his older brother, George, was
forced to renounce his rights to the
throne, Alexander was officially recog-
nized heir-apparent.
Since then he interested himself in
| the recognizing and in the modern
izing of the Serbian Army, thus put
ting into practice the training which
he had received in Russia.
When the first Balkan war OF 1912
started Alexander commanded the 1St
army and distinguished himself in
battles against the Turks and later
against the Bulgarians. He won his
first military decoration for personal
bravery at the battle of Kumanovo.
Though commanding an army, Alexan-
der was more often found in the
trenches and in the first line of his
advancing troops than far behind the
front at army headquarters. He en-
deared himself with his soldiers be-
cause he shared with them all the
;. hardships of the campaign as one OF
them. He emerged out of the Balkan
war not only an able military leader
but soldier in the full sense Of the
word This explains his extraordinary
popularity with the Serbian Army and
through the medium Of the army, with
the Serbian people.
As the fatal year Of 1914 advanced
J and the illness Of King Peter pro-