Delivered before the English Soldiers.
I propose to-night, gentlemen, to describe to you Serbia, my native
country, my dream of the past, my dream of the future, and one of your
Allies, loyal and faithful in life and death. I will try, of course, to
give you only some glances at and slight insight into what Serbia has
represented with her soul, her efforts, ideals and hopes. The time is
short, yea, our time to-day is more empty than the events which surprise
us every day, every night, and overwhelm us like an avalanche of snow
and ice from the Alps. How poor and insufficient is our human language
to-day, even the language of the most eloquent mortals from this island
like Burke, Macaulay and Carlyle, to describe the events which our eyes
are seeing and our ears listening to at the present moment! Do not
expect from me an equivalent description of Serbia, which has been one
of the greatest factors in this world-war during many months, and which
has disturbed your hearts for so long and attracted thousands of your
sons and friends over the seas, to take the sword from Serbia's mangled
hands and continue the struggle for the same cause for which she fought
until death. All that I can tell you consists in some poor instances and
remembrances which will be sufficient to show you that Serbia has been
worthy to live and to be your ally, and consequently that she is worthy
of your great sympathy with her and of your helping her resurrection.
Serbia has been at war since 1912.