XII THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN SERVIA
To understand the situation in Servia it is necessary to know a little
of the history of that interesting country, which is always furnishing
a sensation for Europe, and the story of the feud between two peasant
families, which has been the cause of most of the trouble. At the
beginning of the last century Servia was a Turkish province and was
governed by a just and humane pasha named Hadji Mustapha. He was not
only popular, but was beloved by his Christian subjects, and the land
was peaceful and prosperous. The Janizaries, however, did not approve
of his liberal policy or his efforts to protect the inhabitants against
their extortions and cruelties, so they shut him up in the citadel
and put him to death. They explained to the Sultan that he had been
untrue to the Turks and was a friend of the Christians. The Janizaries
had their own way for four or five years, and, fearing an uprising of
the people, decided to murder every man who could possibly be looked
upon as a leader. Thousands were massacred; every town and village in
Servia flowed with blood. Among those who escaped to the mountains was
a swineherd named George Petrovitch (George, the son of Peter), better
known to history by his nickname, Kara (Black) George, because of his
dark complexion and raven hair. He is the greatest hero of Servian
history, and to him his country owes its independence from the Turks.
He was a very able man and generally respected, but was absolutely
illiterate, being unable to read or write, and could not even sign
his name. When he became king he used a peculiar cipher or rubric to
show his approval of state papers. But he had natural intelligence and
sagacity. His integrity was never questioned and his sense of justice
was Spartan. He allowed his own brother to suffer the death penalty as
an example to others for defying the authority of the government. While
King of Servia he wore the ordinary peasant’s garb, because he said it
was more appropriate to his ignorance and simple character than a crown
and robe of state, and he lived with the same frugality as when he was
tending his pigs in the mountains, often cooking his own meals in the
palace kitchen.
Karageorge drove out the Turks and organized a liberal monarchy in
Servia. Keenly appreciating his own deficiencies, the first thing he
did was to establish a free public school system in every province,
with a university at Belgrade. He introduced courts of justice, reduced
taxation, punished corruption, suppressed vice and organized the
different branches of the government with the skill of an experienced
statesman; but the people were not able to advance at his rapid
pace and he suffered the fate of many men who have been ahead of
their generation. His enemies encompassed him about, and his critics
interfered with his plans for the improvement of the country. In a fit
of anger and indignation because the public would not sustain his
reforms, he abdicated the crown after a reign of nine years. He was the
founder of the Karageorgovitch family, which is one of the parties to a
perpetual feud for the control of Servia.
His rival, the founder of the other faction, was also a peasant, the
son of a house-servant, a man who did menial work about the castle of
an aristocratic family named Obren. His father was called Tescho, but,
as is common among the Balkan peasants, he had no family name, and
when he became conspicuous enough to need one he adopted that of his
master, and the founder of the present reigning house of Servia became
known as Milos Obren. When Karageorge abdicated, Milos was the most
influential man left in the city of Belgrade, and the Turkish pasha who
invaded the country and captured the city appointed him governor of the
province. This honor excited his ambition and jealousy, and, fearing
a popular movement to recall Karageorge to the throne, he betrayed
him to the Turkish pasha, and, in obedience to the latter’s orders,
willingly hired a professional assassin named Vuica to murder his
unsuspecting rival while asleep in the shepherd’s hut he occupied in
the mountains. Thus began the feud between the descendants of the two
men, which continues to the present day, and the history of Servia is
little more than a recital of the rivalries between the Obrenovitch and
the Karageorgovitch families. Milos finally succeeded in reaching the
throne, and, being a man of very different disposition from Karageorge,
ruled as an autocrat until he was compelled to abdicate by an outraged
people, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Milan III., who died a
month later, when his brother Michael was seated.
Michael made a good king. He was liberal, just, progressive, and
introduced many modern improvements into Servia, besides carrying on
the reforms begun by Karageorge. He built a fine system of roads and
highways, erected several good public buildings, laid out parks, built
an opera-house and an art gallery, all of which were excellent things
in their way, but cost money. The peasants, who have always ruled
Servia, objected to what they called “German ideas” and drove Michael
from power, electing as king in his place Alexander Karageorgovitch,
a son of the national hero. The latter had held an humble position in
the Servian army, was modest, quiet and reserved. In an unostentatious
way he continued the policy of public improvements begun by Michael,
encouraging the arts and industries. During his reign Servia enjoyed
peace for several years and made rapid progress, but the dissatisfied
element soon began agitations again, and, encouraged by the partisans
of the Obrenovitch family, obtained control of the parliament, which
demanded Alexander’s abdication, and called back old Milos, who had
been in exile in Austria. He reigned for two years, until he died, and
it was good for the country that his life was not prolonged, for he
labored under the delusion that his recall was a vindication of his
previous autocratic policy, and his rule was worse than before.
Upon the death of Milos, Michael again came into power. During his
exile he had traveled much, had studied the art of government in
several of the European capitals, had learned foreign languages and
foreign affairs, and this education and observation, with his natural
abilities, made him a safe and prudent sovereign. He was altogether the
best ruler Servia has ever had; but there were continual conspiracies
against him by partisans of the Karageorge family, and, being unable
to control the parliament, they removed Michael by assassination.
He was murdered in the garden of his country palace. It was the
intention of the conspirators to proclaim Peter Karageorgovitch as king
simultaneously with the announcement of Michael’s death, but their
carriage broke down on their way back to Belgrade and the news of their
crime preceded them. The minister of war took prompt action, arrested
the assassins and locked them up in the dungeons of the citadel.
The plot proved to be widespread. Several members of the Karageorge
family were convicted of complicity and put to death, but there was no
direct evidence against Peter, who then, as now, was living quietly at
Lucerne, Switzerland, engaged in scientific pursuits. His late wife,
Zorka, was a daughter of the reigning Prince of Montenegro, and he
has two sons in the Russian army. He is now an old man, but, like Don
Carlos of Spain and the Duke of Orleans of France, is a recognized
“pretender,” and his name is always used by the “outs” as a shibboleth
when they are trying to raise a revolution.
The national assembly placed Milan IV. on the throne, and in 1869 he
was crowned. While getting his education in Paris he had acquired
habits of luxury, gambling and dissipation, which unfitted him for
the responsibility of ruling a primitive and a restless country like
Servia. His love of pleasure, his low tastes, reckless extravagance and
selfish disposition were his ruin. He squandered the nation’s money and
lost his private fortune at cards. His wife, Natalie Keskho, daughter
of a colonel in the Russian army, was compelled to leave him and was
finally granted a divorce. Their domestic troubles and the scandals of
the Servian court for a dozen years during the reign of Milan furnished
gossip for all Europe. Finally, enervated by dissipation and despised
by his subjects and all decent people, he abdicated in 1889 in favor of
his son Alexander, a lad of thirteen, who is now king of Servia.
This precocious youth, when not more than fifteen years old, fell under
the fascinations of Mme. Draga Maschin, who had been a lady-in-waiting
to his mother. She is an ambitious and brilliant woman, gifted with
considerable beauty, and the daughter of a cattle-dealer in Belgrade
named Lunjevitza. When only seventeen years of age she married Colonel
Maschin, an engineer in the Servian army, who obtained a divorce from
her because of her scandalous relations with the young king, which
began when he was a mere boy, and since that time she has resided
in the palace and has absolutely controlled him. The Dowager Queen
Natalie again and again attempted to bring the lad to his senses and
break off the relations, but Mme. Draga had more influence than the
mother, and actually compelled the latter to leave the palace and the
Kingdom of Servia. Natalie is now residing at Biarritz, very much
respected and beloved by many people, although she made herself very
unhappy and excited much hostility among the Servian politicians by her
sympathy with Russia, and her desire to bring Servia within the Russian
influence. Whatever may have been said of her political imprudence, her
character has never been questioned.
[Illustration: KING ALEXANDER OF SERVIA]
[Illustration: PRINCE FERDINAND OF BULGARIA]
Draga was ambitious to share the throne with her youthful lover,
although she was nearly twice his age, but her high aspirations
were stubbornly opposed by the ministers of state and the leading
politicians of Servia. After the abdication of his father, Prince
Alexander, during his minority, ruled the country through three
regents, all venerable and patriotic men, but it became necessary for
Draga to get rid of them for her own safety and the success of her
schemes. She found the young king a willing tool, and one night, when
he was only seventeen years old, he invited the regents to the palace,
and while they sat at dinner they were arrested upon a charge of
treason and thrown into prison, while he proclaimed himself king. This
_coup d’état_ was successful, for the army admired the audacity of the
youngster and sustained him. He has since married his mistress, and she
remains as influential as ever, the most interesting and conspicuous
figure in Servian politics.
King Alexander is a degenerate, and his brief career is disgusting. He
looks as if he had escaped from an asylum for the depraved, but is by
no means feeble of mind or body. On the contrary, he has a vigorous
constitution, and on two or three occasions has shown a nerve and power
of command which would do credit to a great general. Unfortunately he
has inherited some of the depravity of his father, the late King Milan,
who was probably the worst ruler Europe has seen for a generation, but
at the same time the son possesses a physical and moral courage that
Milan never displayed.
Draga Maschin, the daughter of the Servian cattle-dealer, reached the
throne by a series of sacrifices and intrigues more sensational than
have ever occurred outside of fictional literature; and yet she is not
happy, because for their sins both she and her youthful husband are
boycotted by all the courts of Europe. Queen Victoria was so disgusted
at the vulgar comedy enacted at Belgrade that she wanted to emphasize
her disapproval by withdrawing the British minister. There have been
a good many scandals in royal families, and some exist at the present
time, which would make an interesting chapter, but there has been
nothing for generations so nasty as that of Servia. As a consequence
the royal couple have not been recognized in any way by other royal
houses, much to the chagrin and disappointment of Queen Draga.
The latest political crisis in Servia was due to the lack of a baby.
The country was excited by intrigues attending the selection of an
heir to the throne. Our guide sagaciously observed that “some people
complain of having too many children, but this is the first time I ever
heard of national politics being disturbed by the lack of one.” Servia
is a little country, but is an important factor in European politics,
being one of the “buffer states” between Russia and the port on the
Mediterranean which the Czar covets. Austrian influence is stronger
than Russian, yet there is a Russian party which also represents the
interest of a family whose ancestors once occupied the throne, and are
all the time suspected of being engaged in a conspiracy to recover
power. These conspiracies have been more frequent than ever of late
years, and the field for intrigue is the more fertile because Queen
Draga has not furnished an heir to the crown, and the doctors say
that she is not likely to do so. It therefore becomes necessary to
select a successor to King Alexander in order to avoid revolution if
he should suddenly die or be driven from the palace. By selecting the
heir-apparent in advance, future conspiracies may be avoided; but
the political interests of a great part of the European continent are
directly involved in the selection, and the question is, Shall Russia
name the man?
Negotiations were conducted for several years between the Servian
minister of foreign affairs and Count Lamsdorff, the head of the
foreign office at St. Petersburg, for a visit to the Czar, which is
the height of the ambition of both King Alexander and his Queen, and
a matter of political importance for the Russians. This involved the
political control of Servia, and the nomination of an heir to the
Servian throne. Although Queen Draga had other plans, and desired her
brother, a young lieutenant in the Servian army, to be proclaimed
heir-apparent, she was willing to sacrifice him and all the rest of her
relations if the Empress Alix would receive her. But the latter, who is
a good woman, absolutely refused to do so, and even declined to answer
a letter which Queen Draga wrote, imploring her kindly consideration.
It is said that she threw the letter indignantly into the fire before
reading it, as soon as she discovered whom it was from.
It is one of the open secrets of the Servian court that Queen Draga
proposed that if the Emperor and Empress of Russia would receive her
husband and herself at their country palace near Odessa, King Alexander
would nominate, as his successor on the Servian throne, Prince Mirko,
son of Prince Nicholas of Montenegro, and brother of Helena, Queen of
Italy. The royal family of Montenegro have very close relations with
the Russians, and are always educated at St. Petersburg. Prince Mirko
is a great favorite with the widow dowager Czarina, and spent several
years of his childhood in her family, developing a remarkable taste
for music. He is such a clever composer that his music is played by all
the Russian military bands, and is equally popular in Italy. He is a
good-looking lad of twenty-one, of stalwart figure and athletic habits.
His life has been very different from that of the depraved young King
of Servia; in fact, all the members of the family of Montenegrins have
been admirably brought up and are persons of cultivation and refinement.
Two of his sisters, who were also educated under the direction of the
dowager Czarina, have married members of the Russian imperial family,
and their dowry was provided by the late Czar. Danilo, crown prince of
Montenegro, married a daughter of the Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin,
and is, therefore, a brother-in-law of the Grand Duke Vladimir, who
gave him a million rubles to start housekeeping. Thus the interest of
the Russian imperial family, as well as the ministers of state, was
excited by the prospect of securing a throne for young Mirko, and the
Servians realized that such an inducement would have great weight with
the Czarina Alix and might possibly persuade her to consent to receive
a woman with even so bad a record as Queen Draga.
The Italian interest in the appointment of Mirko was equally great.
Queen Helena was an active participant in the negotiations with Servia
for Mirko’s nomination. The Servians do not care so much for Italy
as for Russia. Queen Draga did not care whether the Queen of Italy
received her or not, but of course appreciated that Queen Helena might
exert some influence upon the Czarina.
There was still another and very important political phase to the
negotiations. Peter Karageorgovitch, the “pretender” to the Servian
throne, married a sister of Mirko, the eldest daughter of Prince
Nicholas, and, although she died in 1887, he is still considered a
member of the Montenegrin family, and the relations between his sons
and their uncles and aunts in Montenegro are very cordial. Two of these
sons are now at a military school at St. Petersburg, and a third is
in the Russian army. It might be that Peter would renounce formally
all pretensions on the part of himself and the Karageorgovitch family
to the throne of Servia if his brother-in-law, Mirko, were proclaimed
heir-apparent. This would be a great advantage to Servia, and would do
more than any other one thing to put an end to the conspiracies and
political agitations which have distracted this country.
King Alexander, as well as Queen Draga, will have to swallow a good
deal of chagrin if Mirko is selected, for that depraved sovereign
received a most humiliating snub from the lovely Princess Xenia, the
fourth daughter of Prince Nicholas, which he cannot have forgotten.
Before his marriage with Draga Maschin, the boy king agreed to yield to
the importunities of his ministers and seek a wife elsewhere, and there
was some correspondence concerning an alliance with the royal family
of Montenegro. King Alexander made a visit to Cetinje, the Montenegrin
capital, to become acquainted with the young lady who was recommended
as a suitable bride, but when the Princess Xenia saw him she was so
disgusted with his appearance and manners that she refused to sit at
the same dinner-table or receive any attention whatever from him, and
Alexander had to be told that his suit would not be successful. He left
Cetinje in a state of furious indignation, and when he returned to his
capital he dismissed from office and banished from the country all the
members of his cabinet who had advised him to go there, and married
Draga Maschin forthwith.
There was a sensational scene at the palace when Queen Draga’s plan
to proclaim her brother as heir-apparent was disclosed. He is said
to be a reputable young fellow and a good soldier, about twenty-four
years of age, but he has no claims upon the throne, and nobody
wanted him except his sister, who, the people think, has already
received more consideration than she is entitled to. His name is
Nikodem Lunjevitza. At first nobody believed the story that floated
out of some mysterious quarter, that Alexander intended to adopt his
brother-in-law as a son and name him as the future king of Servia,
because it was so audacious as to be incredible, but within a few days
the confirmation was abundant. The king expressed his intention to
three or four different persons. Then the ministry took up the matter
and decided, after long and serious consultation, that it would be an
act of duty and patriotism to immediately check the ambition of their
queen. Therefore, the entire cabinet, with Mr. Vuitsch, the prime
minister, at their head, called at the palace at an unusual hour and
asked for an audience. Alexander must have suspected the purpose of
their visit, for, after keeping them waiting for fifteen or twenty
minutes, he appeared in the full uniform of the commander-in-chief of
the Servian army, with his wife upon his arm. Advancing a few steps
from the entrance, the royal couple stood arm-in-arm, with a defiant
air, while the eight ministers arose and saluted them. Mr. Vuitsch,
in a conciliatory way, suggested that as they desired to consult the
king upon a matter of importance to the state, the presence of Her
Majesty was not necessary. But Alexander had evidently been through a
rehearsal, for he replied firmly and without hesitation:
“The Queen of Servia is interested as much as myself in all affairs of
state.”
The prime minister bowed in acquiescence and proceeded to say that
disquieting rumors concerning the selection of an heir to the throne
had been in circulation for several days, and had reached the ears of
the cabinet from unofficial sources. No notice had been taken of them
until they had been confirmed by persons who were in the confidence of
His Majesty more than his own cabinet and lawful advisers. Therefore
they deemed it their duty to enter a remonstrance and to remind
him that the _Skupshtina_, which was about to assemble, under the
constitution must be consulted, and their approval obtained before
the proclamation of an heir-apparent could be formally made. He was
confident, the premier said, that a majority of that body, which was
Radical in sentiment, would never agree to the choice His Majesty
had made, and, with the history of Servia so familiar in his mind,
His Majesty must recognize the danger to himself and to the country
of a difference with his parliament upon so important a subject as
the selection of his successor. He, therefore, begged that, before
any formal steps were taken, the leaders of the parliament should be
consulted.
Alexander here interrupted, and shouted in an excited manner: “I shall
carry out my will.”
“The will of the people must also be considered,” answered the prime
minister firmly.
Queen Draga, who seemed perfectly cool in contrast to the agitation of
her husband, motioned to the latter to be silent, and said, “The will
of the monarch is the more important,” then, whirling the king around,
she almost dragged him to the door, and the royal couple left the
audience-chamber without the usual formalities. The cabinet exchanged
glances and retired. Within a few days they took occasion to have the
leader of the Radical majority in the parliament send a message to the
queen by a person who would be sure to deliver it correctly, that her
plan to name her brother as heir to the throne would never be agreed
to, and admonished her that her own safety required her to relinquish
it.
There have been frequent attempts to assassinate the queen, and at
one time a story was circulated that she had committed suicide. It
is believed to have originated with her enemies to cover a failure
at assassination. She is extremely unpopular, and her vindictiveness
has incited a personal hostility and provoked attempts upon her life.
Alexander is a mere puppet in her hands. He does nothing without her
approval. She is actually the head of the Servian government.
XIII THE CAPITAL OF SERVIA
The train rolled into a fine large station at ten o’clock on a
beautiful night in October, 1901, when we had an opportunity to observe
how things are managed in a hotbed of revolutions, for in Servia there
is more politics than in Kansas or Nebraska, and the “ins” are always
afraid the “outs” are going to raise a rumpus. As a consequence, the
country is often compared to a volcano, and the government officials
are very cautious about admitting strangers and political exiles into
the capital.
An hour or so before we entered the Servian boundaries from Budapest,
an officer in a dizzy uniform of scarlet and gold braid collected our
passports, and asked a series of questions concerning our residences,
birthplaces, religion, professions and “stations in life,” which we
answered with accuracy and patience. Then, shortly before we arrived at
Belgrade, he returned the documents with the most polite compliments.
Alighting from the car, we followed the crowd into a sort of chute upon
the station platform, like those used for cattle in stock-yards, at the
end of which two more officers stood, and again demanded our passports
and railway tickets. Having complied, we passed on into a big room with
benches running up and down the center, where our luggage, with that of
other arrivals, was arranged.
The customs office did not show us much attention; their inspection
of our luggage was over in a minute; but they overhauled that of the
native passengers as if they meant to find something. I suppose they
were looking for arms, ammunition, incriminating documents or something
of that sort, or perhaps only for liquors and tobacco, which are
government monopolies; but the examinations were very thorough, and
both men and women had to tumble the contents of their bags and boxes
out upon the bench in a most exasperating manner. One man, who had
ridden with us all the way from Budapest, evidently had been indulging
in a little extravagance, and had half a dozen new collars and cuffs.
These attracted the attention of the inspector, who counted them three
or four times, and then took them into an inner room, where he weighed
them, and collected a few coppers in duty. Hot with indignation the
owner searched his pockets, slammed the duty down upon the bench and
hurled about a bushel of Servian oaths at the inspector, who took it as
coolly as possible and went on examining the luggage of other people.
The indignant man then began to collect his scattered effects; but
between every three or four handfuls he would explode again. I do not
know who he was, but if he ever catches that customs inspector in a
dark alley there will be a homicide reported in the Servian newspapers.
Our trunks were loaded upon the box of an ancient cab drawn by a pair
of diminutive animals, which had more spirit than flesh, and whirled
around the corner of the station to a brilliantly lighted office, which
the driver told us was the police headquarters, where our passports
could be recovered. The officers were very polite, but they wanted to
know my profession. There are often reasons why one does not care to
advertise himself as a newspaper reporter. It sometimes interferes
with the success of a mission. I told them I was a traveler, but they
desired something a little more definite. So, for the time being, I
concluded to be a gentleman of leisure, and was visiting Servia in
pursuit of the picturesque. The chief was extremely deferential and
hoped he had not put me to any inconvenience. He insisted upon shaking
hands, and bowed us to the door with the grace of a dancing-master.
[Illustration: A GLIMPSE OF MODERN BELGRADE]
The big café of the hotel to which we were driven was filled with blue
smoke. Underneath the cloud we could discern a crowd of men earnestly
engaged in a discussion which they kept up until an early hour in the
morning, and we learned that the chief occupation of a large portion
of the inhabitants was drinking beer, talking politics and smoking
cigarettes. The next morning was Sunday, and the café was again filled
at an early hour, with women as well as men, and every table was
occupied all day long, while the cigarette smoke hung over their heads
like a blue mist and concealed the ceiling. It was always so as long as
we remained in Belgrade. The café was crowded when we came downstairs
in the morning and when we went to bed at night, and the consumption of
beer, wine, coffee and cigarettes must be very large.
Sunday morning the king gave an audience to the _Skupshtina_, as
parliament is called, and it was, therefore, one of the great days of
the year. The bishops and the clergy, in their magnificent, embroidered
vestments, were even more imposing than the generals in uniforms of
blue, scarlet and green, with gold braid. The members of the diplomatic
corps in court dress were led by the Turkish minister and his suite.
The Austrian and Russian representatives were handsomely decorated
and made a fine appearance. They were watched with interest because it
is supposed that both are intriguing for the control of the country.
The members of the _Skupshtina_ were clad in black evening dress, with
embroidered shirt-fronts, white ties and white gloves. A band of music
stood in the area beside the palace and played lively airs while the
ceremonies were going on, and a battalion of the king’s bodyguard, in
brilliant uniforms like those of the Austrian Hussars, was drawn up
in two lines, between which everybody had to pass. I looked at those
troops with peculiar interest, because upon their loyalty the life of
the king depends. Most of them are young men, some mere boys, but they
all had intelligent faces and seemed conscious of their responsibility.
The royal palace, which is in the center of the city of Belgrade, is in
two parts and disconnected. One resembles a French chateau and looks
like a comfortable home, being pleasantly and tastefully fitted up. It
is only two stories in height, the lower floor containing the drawing,
dining and reception rooms and the upper floor the living apartments.
It is large enough for an ordinary family, and would make an acceptable
abode for a gentleman of wealth and culture. The other part, which
is across an area forty or fifty feet wide, is a more pretentious
structure, which rises next to the street, without grounds, and looks
like a public building. It is known as the New Konak, and was built by
Milan, the gambler king, for entertaining purposes. The exterior as
well as the interior is very pretentious, being of stuccoed brick, with
elaborate moldings, four stories high and painted yellow, like nearly
all the government buildings and business blocks. Within is a series
of magnificent apartments, equal to those in the palaces at Berlin and
Vienna, designed by a French architect and finished with tapestries
and gilding at a cost that was enormous for the size and wealth of the
country. The guards are thick around the palace, which indicates either
lack of confidence or a cowardly king. But the precaution is well taken.
[Illustration: ROYAL PALACE AT BELGRADE]
Sunday morning everybody goes to market, and the display of fish, meats
and vegetables is large and interesting. On one side of the principal
square were butchers, hucksters, and dealers in knickknacks from
Servia, while everything on the other came from Hungary, across the
River Save, and paid duty. The latter and their wares were much better
looking, and the venders wore better garments than the Servians, many
of them appearing in the Hungarian national costume. Their butter and
cheese were more appetizing and were displayed in a neater manner;
their vegetables were superior to those of Servian growth, the meat was
of a better quality, and it was, therefore, not surprising when we were
told that the wealthy class of the population patronized the Hungarians
and paid a little more for their supplies. The common people buy food
at the Servian end of the market. The fruits were beautiful, especially
the grapes and plums. From those plums are made the prunes of commerce,
and a large part of our supply comes from Servia. Plums are the largest
and most valuable crop of the country. The exports of dried prunes
were more than forty thousand tons in 1901, and from thirty to forty
thousand tons were used in the distillation of plum brandy.
Servia is an agricultural country, and out of a population of
2,312,000, eighty-seven per cent are engaged in farming, the number of
individual farms being 293,421, generally comprising from twenty to
thirty acres each. Over 300,000 acres are devoted to plum trees. The
next best crops are wheat, grass and corn. Pigs are one of the staple
products. After the war with Bulgaria a few years ago, in which Servia
was defeated, it was proposed to pay an indemnity of a million and a
half of swine instead of cash. There are large flocks of sheep and a
good deal of wool is handled, and the ranges are well stocked with
cattle.
Whenever Servia has a period of peace the flocks and herds increase
with great rapidity, and the wealth of the country grows like compound
interest. Servia has been extensively advertised as “a poor man’s
paradise,” as the soil, climate and other conditions are favorable for
people of small means. Farms can be bought for small sums of money,
and the ranges for cattle and sheep are usually public lands, which
cost nothing except a small tax which is paid into the treasury of
the township or commune. Recently several new industries have been
established. A German company has built a large beet-sugar factory
within sight of Belgrade, and a linen manufactory has been erected
by Belgian capital. There are several match factories, flour-mills,
tanneries and breweries, and the government is proposing to pay
subsidies to encourage the introduction of woolen mills and other
mechanical industries in different parts of the country. Servia is
prospering. There is plenty of work at good wages, but at the same time
considerable emigration to the United States and to the neighboring
countries, because of a disinclination among the young men to spend
five years of their lives in the military service.
[Illustration: A GLIMPSE OF OLD BELGRADE]
At market we saw a bride in the native dress, who had just come from
the church where the marriage ceremony had been performed, and was
receiving the congratulations of her friends and neighbors, while her
proud husband stood at her side and was envied. She was a buxom damsel
of the Swedish type, with blond hair and a clear blue eye. Her head
was covered with a peculiar turban, from which hung clusters of silver
coins. Long strings of coins were suspended from a necklace and a
girdle, and hung over her shoulders and hips, and must have been very
heavy. These were her dowry. She had begun to save them during her
childhood, and instead of putting them in a savings-bank had strung
them together for ornaments and had worn some or all of them on festive
occasions to attract the attention of the eligible young men of the
neighborhood. They were of different denominations, large and small,
and were arranged with a good deal of taste. The custom of the country
permits a bride to control her dowry after marriage, and many women
are able to preserve their wedding coins and transmit them to their
children. Sometimes they are exchanged for a piece of land, a cottage,
or cattle, and sometimes the coins are taken, one by one, from the
string, to meet emergencies in domestic economy. As a rule, however,
the peasants of Servia are well-to-do, and as long as peace can be
preserved they are able to live comfortably and save money.
The city of Belgrade lies upon a narrow, elevated peninsula between
the River Save and the Danube. It has improved considerably during the
last quarter of a century. The streets are wide and lined with fine
buildings after the Austrian style of architecture, with frequent open
squares which the public uses for market-places. The older part of
the city, nearest to the banks of the rivers, which was built during
Turkish domination, is composed of low buildings of adobe, with roofs
of red tile, fronting upon narrow and crooked streets and abounding in
filth and bad smells. One part is given up to the Jewish population,
who are huddled together in narrow quarters called the Ghetto, although
many are supposed to be rich and to own large areas of valuable real
estate in other sections of the city. There is no persecution of the
Jews in Servia. Freedom of worship is granted by the constitution,
although the state religion is the Greek orthodox. Out of a total
population of 2,312,484 souls 2,281,018 are communicants of that
church. The Roman Catholics number 10,411; the Mohammedan gypsies,
11,586; Turks, 2,489; Jews, 5,102; Protestants, 1,002.
The prevailing prejudice against the Jews is due to their success in
business rather than to religious scruples. They are not allowed to
hold office, although there is no legal prohibition, and are often
hooted at in the streets. In ordinary business transactions the keen
rivalry of the Jews is exasperating to their Christian competitors,
and their commercial enterprise in all directions has interfered
considerably with the prosperity of the natives. In the mercantile
trade they have the best shops and undersell the Christians; in
brokerage and the commission business they show a shrewdness and
prudence which enable them to make money while others lose, and they
have thus acquired wealth and commercial influence which make them
objects of envy. I did not hear any Christian say a good word of a Jew
in Servia, but at the same time I was not able to discover an instance
in which a member of that race has failed to fulfill his contracts
or has asked more than his due. The persecution of the Jews in the
neighboring Kingdom of Roumania, where they form a large portion of the
population, is becoming desperate. There the restrictions of the Middle
Ages are still in force. Jewish children are not allowed to attend
the public schools; Jewish students are not admitted to the technical
schools or the university; Jewish operatives cannot be employed in
manufacturing establishments; the Jews are prohibited from practicing
professions and engaging in certain kinds of commercial business, the
object being to drive them out of the country. All this is in violation
of the provisions of the Treaty of Berlin, under which the Kingdom of
Roumania received the protection of the great Powers, but it is useless
for the Jews to appeal because they cannot get a hearing. There is no
such trouble in Servia or Bulgaria, and for that reason a considerable
emigration from Roumania is moving that way.
Since the time of King Michael, Servia has had an excellent school
system and a law making education compulsory. All children between
the ages of seven and fourteen must attend school, and since 1865,
when only four per cent of the population could read and write, there
has been remarkable advancement. There are a number of academies, a
school of commerce, an agricultural college, a school of wine-culture
and a university with four hundred and thirty-six students, of
whom twenty-eight are women. In addition to these there are also
twenty-seven _hospitens_, or guests--students who are too poor to pay
the matriculation fees, but are allowed to attend the lectures and
enjoy the full benefit of the university training without receiving
degrees. The university occupies a fine building opposite the principal
square, and has a well-selected library of forty thousand volumes. The
entire expense of the university is paid by the national treasury,
and during the year 1900 was $109,000. There are four faculties--law,
medicine, science and philosophy.
Some of the school buildings are excellent examples of modern
construction and convenience, and they show an educational enterprise
that is creditable to the country. The government supports a museum
of natural history, a theater for the encouragement of opera and the
drama in the native tongue, and a small picture-gallery, which contains
an interesting collection of portraits of national characters and
several examples of old masters which have been presented from time
to time. There are also a number of paintings by native artists. One
of them, representing the coronation of an early king of Servia, was
awarded a gold medal at the Paris Salon in 1900, and was purchased
by the government as an encouragement to other artists. Nearly all
the pictures by native artists relate to historical events--warfare,
massacres and assassinations, dying women and headless men, for the
history of Servia has been a chronicle of horrors.
There are a public park and children’s playground, with swings,
merry-go-rounds, toboggan slides and other amusements; a musical
garden, where a military band plays two or three times a week; and a
botanical collection that promises well. In the parks and public square
are a number of statues and monuments to Servian military heroes, poets
and literary men.
The Servian language is a mixture of the Russian and Greek and is
similar to that of Bulgaria.
The cathedral is a commonplace building with a fantastic tower of
Byzantine style. It is interesting only because it contains the tombs
of Kings Milos and Michael. The epitaph of the latter reads: “Thy
memory shall not perish.” Karageorge is buried in the woods in the
mountains where he was assassinated. King Milan was buried in Vienna,
where he died in 1899.
At the extreme point of the peninsula, at the junction of the Save and
the Danube, is a promontory rising between three and four hundred feet,
with sheer cliffs at the point and on both sides. Here a fortress was
erected by the Romans before the time of Christ. Much of the original
wall still remains and the inclosure has been used continuously for
military purposes for at least two thousand years. There are two series
of fortifications, both protected by moats and double walls, and the
citadel must have been impregnable before the invention of heavy
artillery. It commands a wide valley, and the view from the point is
one of the most attractive in Europe.
The castle is in an excellent state of preservation and the outer walls
are used as a prison for all kinds of offenders. The prison is well
kept, the inmates are humanely treated and every Sunday morning are
allowed to send to the public market articles of their handiwork to be
sold for their own benefit. Every prisoner is allowed to prosecute his
trade if he has one and enjoy the proceeds of the sale of everything
he makes. If he is a shoemaker or a tailor he can continue to work
for his customers, and one day of the week he is allowed to receive
visitors, who bring him orders and take away goods that are finished.
Women prisoners do sewing and embroidery. At the market on Sunday the
stand for the sale of prison-made goods is attended by officers of the
police, who take the names of purchasers and the prices of the articles
purchased. During the last few years the administration of justice has
been much improved and the courts are said to be well managed.
Within the walls of the citadel are barracks for a regiment of
artillery, residences for the commander of the army and his staff, a
school for the education of non-commissioned officers, a church which
the soldiers are required to attend, and the headquarters of the
military administration. There is also a memorial mosque, which was
erected in honor of Hadji Mustapha who governed Servia early in the
last century, and, strange to say, was beloved by the people. He was
murdered by the Janizaries because he was too just and liberal.
The remains of Roman times are interesting and among the best preserved
in Europe. In the center of the citadel is a well containing fifty-five
feet of water, on a level with the Danube River, which is reached by
descending four hundred and thirty-two steps. The well is surrounded
by a brick wall three feet thick. The steps wind around it, and you go
down, down, down into the darkness of the bowels of the earth, until
the water-level is reached, where there is a chamber of considerable
size, evidently intended for storage of ammunition. This well is said
to be nearly two thousand years old, yet the brick-work is almost
perfect. It was built by the Romans to furnish water for the garrison
in case of a siege.
Below the walls of the citadel, upon the banks of the Danube, are two
large barracks capable of accommodating twenty-five hundred men, with
magazines for the storage of powder, and an old tower called the
Nebojsche, or torture-tower, which is supposed to have formerly had an
underground connection with the citadel, but it has been filled up and
forgotten for centuries. Here prisoners were taken to be tortured and
executed, and their bodies were thrown into the Danube.
Military service is compulsory. Every young man of sound body, when
he becomes of age, must serve two years in the army, eight years in
the reserve, and ten years in the national militia, or second reserve.
The active strength of the army in time of peace is 35,640 men, the
first reserve 160,751, and the second reserve 126,110, making a total
of 322,501 men capable of military service in time of war. The army is
organized and uniformed on the Russian plan, and has been trained by
Russian officers.
Every man who has performed military service is entitled to the right
of suffrage, and all others who pay taxes to the extent of fifteen
francs a year.
There are no paupers in Servia, and therefore no need of almshouses.
There is a free hospital for both military and civilian patients, which
is well kept.
Three miles from town, a park called Topschider, reached by a line of
electric cars, surrounds a country palace in which King Michael lived
much of his time. There is a farm where he conducted experiments in
agriculture and horticulture. In the upper rooms of the palace are
cases containing his library of agricultural works, many of which are
in English; glass jars filled with seeds which he imported from foreign
countries for experimental purposes, and glass cases containing wax
casts of apples, pears, peaches, grapes and other fruits which he
raised. Here he lived the life of a farmer and devoted his time to
studying the interests of his people; and here he was assassinated by
conspirators who were not allowed to have the share they wanted in the
control of the government.
The park is very pretty, and in front of the palace is a group of noble
old sycamores, one of which is said to be the largest tree in Europe.
Its branches extend over a diameter of more than two hundred feet and
are sustained by props. We paced it and made it thirty paces from the
trunk to the tip of the outermost branch. The trunk is twenty-two feet
in circumference, and the tree is perfectly healthy and symmetrical.
The house, or palace, so called, is rude and uncomfortable. There
is nothing attractive about it. The rooms are dark, dismal and
ill-furnished, but it was the favorite residence of King Milos and of
King Michael who were men of primitive tastes. Milos died in an upper
chamber he used to occupy, and everything remains as he left it--his
bed, his clothing, his slippers and a tattered old dressing-gown
hanging on a nail.
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